Global age-friendly cities

A guide

• Alexandre Kalache, Louise Plouffe
• World Health Organization

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13 August 2007Population ageing and urbanization are two global trends that together comprise major forces shaping the 21st century. At the same time as cities are growing, their share of residents aged 60 years and more is increasing. Older people are a resource for their families, communities and economies in supportive and enabling living environments. WHO regards active ageing as a life-long process shaped by several factors that, alone and acting together, favour health, participation and security in older adult life. Informed by WHO’s approach to active ageing, the purpose of this Guide is to engage cities to become more age-friendly so as to tap the potential that older people represent for humanity.

An age-friendly city encourages active ageing by optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age.

In practical terms, an age-friendly city adapts its structures and services to be accessible to and inclusive of older people with varying needs and capacities.

By working ing with groups in 33 cities in all WHO regions, WHO has asked older people in focus groups to describe the advantages and barriers they experience in eight areas of city living in:

Amman, Jordan
Cancún, Mexico
Dundalk, Ireland
Geneva, Switzerland
Halifax, Canada
Himeji, Japan
Islamabad, Pakistan
Istanbul, Turkey
Kingston and Montego Bay (combined), Jamaica
La Plata, Argentina
London, United Kingdom
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Melbourne, Australia
Melville, Australia
Mexico City, Mexico
Moscow, Russian Federation
Nairobi, Kenya
New Delhi, India
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Portage la Prairie, Canada
Portland, Oregon, United States of America
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ruhr metropolitan region, Germany
Saanich, Canada
San José, Costa Rica
Shanghai, China
Sherbrooke, Canada
Tokyo, Japan
Tripoli, Lebanon
Tuymazy, Russian Federation
Udaipur, India
Udine, Italy