Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Age Friendly Cities & Generational Intelligence Simon

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Ageing In Cities ‘The Cities are young, the countryside is old’ ‘Everybody has moved out’ ‘Cities are for working in’ ‘The suburbs were young and now they are old’ ‘They give us a better life’

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology

Older People in Cities Global population 60+ will double from 11% in 2006 to 22% by As of 2007 over 50% of world population lives in cities. By 2030 three out of every 5 people will live in cities. In ‘developed’ countries 80% of older people live in cities In ‘developing’ countries under 50% but will rise 16 times by 2050.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Urbanisation + Ageing Population = urban ageing in the 21 st C

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Some News from Social Gerontology

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Ageing in Cities ‘ The creed of the street is: old age is not disgraceful, but immensely disadvantageous ’ (Emerson 1862) ‘ a hyper-mobile minority on the one side ’ may contradict ‘ the needs of a majority including older people, women living alone with children, disabled people and other groups, on the other ’ (Phillipson, 2004)

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Separation & Common Experience Intergenerational relations have clear territorial expressions (Laws:1993, 1997) :Suburbs, playgrounds & care homes Ageing in place: autonomy, sociability and security (Biggs et al, 2000) Feldman & Oberlink (2003) ‘Community Elder- friendliness’: continued active participation in communities, sustained independence and reduced risk of isolation. Richard et al (2004) professional and older person’s views.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Older People & Local Environments ‘Older people tend to spend more time at home and in the immediate outdoor environment than do younger people’ Oswald et al (2005) ‘While cities can be disabling and threatening at any age … the associated risks increase with age. The key point is that at 75 or 85, people may feel an even greater sense of being trapped or disadvantaged by urban decay, and that this may limit their ability to maintain a sense of self- identity’ Scharf et al (2005)

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology A Lifecourse Perspective many older people have lived in the same place for most of their lives and have experienced rapid change Older People can act as a reference point for stability and continuity within urban environments Without adequate intergenerational ties this can evolve into an experience of being pushed out or left behind in a hostile environment

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Social Behaviour, Attitudes and Perceptions. Smith et al (2004), found that subjective variables, such as perceptions of ones own health, ability to cope financially, loneliness and the perception of poverty over a lifetime, correlated significantly with all measures, more so than socio-demographic factors and objective life conditions.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology

The WHO Guide 33 cities (6 mega cities) in 6 continents. Focus groups around 8 pre-defined topic areas. Older people 60 plus. Disability, middle and lower income groups, caregivers, public voluntary and commercial sectors.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology The WHO Conceptual Base Active Ageing: across the lifecourse “the process optimising opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age” (2001) Madrid Action Plan (2002): new flexible ageing Healthy Cities: now in phase IV (2003-8). WHO docs all at: ml

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Madrid Int’l Plan of Action on Ageing (2002) Article 10: ‘the potential of older persons is a powerful basis for future development. This enables society to rely increasingly on the skills, experience and wisdom of older persons, not only to take the lead in their own betterment but also to participate actively in that of society as a whole’.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology

WHO Age Friendly Aims identify concrete indicators of an age-friendly city and produce a practical guide advocacy, community development and policy change to make urban communities age-friendly. increase awareness of local needs, gaps and good ideas for improvement in order to stimulate development of more age-friendly urban settings. Vitality of cities: nodes from which innovation spreads.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Areas Investigated outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information; and community support and health services.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology

London Conclusions Ageing in place: social inclusion vs isolation Generational and cultural difference Spaces: community meeting places, intergenerational exchanges How to get there: importance of detail and staging posts Attitudes: impatience, ageism, ignoring

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology London Policy Implications Think beyond families Local environments & short distances Shared interests between generations Lifecourse: stability and change The absence of ‘neighbourhood’ and the need for community spaces

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology

The Checklist “The heart of the guide is the checklist of age-friendly features. The checklist is not an instrument for ranking one city against another. Rather, it is a tool for a city’s self- assessment and a map to chart progress” WHO/FCH/ALC/2007.2

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Outdoor spaces and buildings. Pleasant and clean environment Importance of green spaces Somewhere to rest Age friendly Pavements Safe pedestrian crossings Accessibility Secure environment

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Social Sections of AFC Part 8: Social Participation Part 9: Respect & Social Inclusion Part 10: Civic Participation & Employment

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Civic Participation & Employment Volunteering Employment opportunities Flexibility in vol and work cultures Participatory bodies of local state (Re-)Training Entrepreneurship Valuing contributions (attitiudes)

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology The Ideology of Productive Ageing “Any activity by an older individual that contributes to producing goods and services or develops the capacity to produce them”. Caro, Bass & Chen, 1993.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Claims- Making ‘An age-friendly city benefits everyone: children, the young and the old’ ‘An age-friendly city encourages active ageing by optimising opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age’

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Claims-Maker 2 “No city is too far behind to make some significant improvements based on the checklist. Going beyond the checklist is possible, and indeed some cities already have that exceed the core” WHO/FCH/ALC/2007.2

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Basis for the Claims (Construction of an Issue) Universalism Bio-Psych-Social Ageing and Old Age

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology A Universal Issue? Where most OP live or will live Pre-defined Categories Pooling of responses ‘Older People’ (60+) ‘Benefits Everyone’ Urban Growth Plus Ageing Population equals which Ageing Cities?

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Bio-Psycho-Social? Small Evidence base. Checklist needs linking to data on: –Falls (Physical) –Depression (Psychological) –Social Networks ( Social) Conceptual Base needs further development

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Ageing & Old Age? The 3 rd Age is not the 4 th Age (60 plus & pooled data) Generational Tension (‘benefits everyone’) Madrid plus Active Ageing (social inclusion as work) Checklist as pre-figurative ( evidential)

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Blurred roles, “Making ‘em like us” & Generational Intelligence

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Emerging Issues Longer lives- raising questions of work-life balance and competition over shared spaces New forms of social ageism based on not recognising age-distinctiveness Tolerating positive and negative emotions in intergenerational environments.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology New Ageism ‘ The imposition of the goals, aims, priorities and agendas of one age group onto and into the lives of other age groups. This may be consciously done, for reasons of political or economic expediency, or done unknowingly as if these priorities are simply commonsense ’. Daatland & Biggs 2004: 103.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology How much a symptom, how much a cure?

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Generational Intelligence Becoming conscious of self at a certain point in the lifecourse. Ability to place oneself in the position of other generations. Holding both positive and negative elements in mind at the same time Recognising the interplay of cohort, family and lifecourse identities Act in the light of ones generational circumstances

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Stages of Generational Intelligence Step One: recognize generational distinctiveness Step Two: understand the relationship between generational positions Step Three: negotiation between generational positions Step Four: act in a manner that is generationally aware

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Generational Intelligence and Urban Space The physical environment as a prop to identity management Negotiating contested/conflicted urban spaces Urban space as a consequence of history plus bureaucracy The gaze in simple and complex generational thinking

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Generationality The Generational Gaze Generational Intelligence Intergenerational Space Intergenerational Time Intergenerational Negotiation

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Age Friendliness A very useful way of thinking about the ‘ecology’ of ageing Needs more empirical support Needs more conceptual development Whose views: generational intelligence

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology Socrates ‘Similar people cannot bring a city into existence’

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology References Biggs,S. (2007) Thinking about generations: conceptual positions and policy implications. J Social Issues, 63.4: Pp 16. Biggs et al (2006). The Age Shift: observations on social policy,ageism and the dynamics of the adult lifecourse. J. Social Work Practice. 20.3: Biggs,S. (2005) Beyond appearances: perspectives on identity in later life and some implications for method. J.Gerontology Soc Sci 60B.3 S118-S128. Daatland S-O & Biggs,S. (2004) Ageing & Diversity. Bristol:Policy Press.

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology References Phillipson, C (2004) Urbanisation & ageing Ageing & Society 24: Scharf,T Phillipson,C & Smith,A (2005) Social exclusion of older people in deprived urban communities of England. European Journal of Ageing 2: Biggs,S. & Tinker,A. (2007) ‘What makes a city age-friendly?’ London:Help the Aged. See pdf.file Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide. Geneva:World Health Organisation. klist.pdf

Simon Biggs Institute of Gerontology