Friendly Cities for All Ages: a life cycle approach

By 2050, approximately 70% of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas. The European Commission foresees that by 2070, 30.3% of the population will be 65 years or older (compared to 20.3% in 2019) and 13.2% will be 80 years or older (compared to 5.8% in 2019). The phenomena of urbanization and ageing are interconnected. Healthy cities are critical to ensure well-being throughout the life cycle, in terms of physical, mental and social health.

The Covid 19 pandemic is a warning to highlight the vulnerability of older people and the importance of good planning of our cities to reduce the impact of loneliness and social isolation. This first thematic session of the InterActions Symposium will begin by addressing the theme of senior-friendly cities and look at ageing from a lifecycle perspective.