The urban environment and sustainable ageing: critical issues and assessment indicators

Abstract

Later life is a diverse experience but for some it is associated with a variety of impairments that impact on quality of life. Attention to date has focused on supporting ageing in place through modification to the home environment to compensate for increasing levels of impairment. This paper explores a further link between later life and the environment beyond the home. In doing so, the paper argues that the disabling impact of the urban environment on older people should be an essential consideration in the urban sustainability debate. A multi-dimensional framework combining sustainable development and ageing in place criteria is used to test the extent to which three sustainable urban environment assessment tools address the issue. The findings suggest that the capacity of an urban environment to support ageing in place is not being assessed as an integral element of a sustainable urban environment. Identifying factors that influence healthy later life will allow the inclusion of a later-life perspective in future urban sustainability planning and assessment models.

Keywords:

• urban sustainability
• sustainability assessment
• ageing in place