title: Developing age-friendly cities: case studies from Brussels and Manchester and implications for policy and practice.
abstract: Developing environments responsive to the aspirations of older people has become a major concern for social and public policy. Policies and programs directed at achieving "age-friendly" communities are considered to require a wide range of interventions, including actions at the level of the social and physical environment. This article compares the age-friendly approaches of two European cities, Brussels and Manchester, with a particular focus on policies and initiatives that promote active aging in an urban context. The article examines, first, the demographic, social, and multicultural contexts of Brussels and Manchester; second, the way in which both cities became members of the World Health Organization Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities; third, similarities and differences in the age-friendly approaches and actions adopted by both cities; and fourth, opportunities and barriers to the implementation of age-friendly policies. The article concludes by discussing the key elements and resources needed to develop age-friendly cities.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Adult Educational Sciences , Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium, and the Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester , Manchester , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Tine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buffel
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGarry
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Phillipson
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Donder
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dury
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Witte
authors.forename: An-Sofie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Smetcoren
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Verté
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001530:Belgium; D002947:Cities; D002958:City Planning / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D019058:Community Networks; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004739:England; D004779:Environment Design / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000592:standards; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011640:Public Policy; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012931:Social Environment; D012939:Social Planning; D014505:Urban Population; D014944:World Health Organization