A Review of Literature on Sustainable Cities and Urban Ageing: Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries

The proportion of the elderly population is increasing rapidly. This trend demands measures and actions that enable elderly people to stay active and self-sufficient as long as possible. However, in cities, elderly people are more vulnerable to climate change, and socioeconomic changes since most city environments are designed to support the working population. Therefore age-friendly living environments and facilities are necessary to promote active ageing. Sustainable cities and ageing populations have been researched widely as separate concepts, but these two have not been researched together. The paper provides a review of empirical research on sustainable cities and urban ageing by giving a special focus on challenges and opportunities for developing countries. The review identifies eight domains in age-friendly cities: (1) outdoor spaces and buildings; (2) transportation; (3) housing; (4) social participation; (5) respect and social inclusion; (6) civic participation and employment; (7) communication and information; and (8) community support and health services. Challenging areas include elderly labour force participation, elderly caring, social security, inclusive urban infrastructure, urban poverty, and peace and security. As a policy implication, collective efforts should be made to formulate policies and programmes to keep the active and productive elderly in the labour market, community development, and decision-making process.