Chapter 9 Urban spaces – ageing places? insights from interviews and focus groups into the spatiality of later life

Abstract

With the so-called greying of many nations, ageing is becoming a critical issue for social and urban policy (Polivka & Longino, 2004). While populations may be ageing chronologically in many countries, notions of ageing and ‘the elderly’ are shifting – influenced by economic, political and cultural changes. People are living longer, and are living more diverse and flexible lives. The shape of their lives is changing in relation to factors such as government policy, the economy, leisure and work practice, and the giving and receiving of care (OECD, 1996). Such changes pose challenges for policy makers as these societal shifts have both social and spatial consequences. ‘Ageing’ is consequently a concept which needs unpacking in order to make informed decisions about planning and public policy – to understand how the concept of age is shaped, negotiated and experienced differentially in place (Williams & Ylanne-McEwen, 2000). This chapter shows how the personal stories and experiences of older individuals form narratives which can both shape and challenge policy makers’ views of ageing and place relationships.

Citation

Mansvelt, J. (2008), "Chapter 9 Urban spaces – ageing places? insights from interviews and focus groups into the spatiality of later life", Maginn, P.J., Thompson, S.M. and Tonts, M. (Ed.) Qualitative Urban Analysis: An International Perspective (Studies in Qualitative Methodology, Vol. 9), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 197-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1042-3192(07)00208-X