Active and healthy ageing in urban environments: laying the groundwork for solution-building through citizen science

Abstract

Summary Urban age-friendly initiatives strive to promote active and healthy ageing by addressing urban influences that impact individuals as they age. Collaborative community partnerships with multi-level stakeholders are crucial for fostering age-friendly initiatives that can transform urban community health. Employing a citizen social science (CSS) approach, this study aimed to engage older adults and stakeholders in Birmingham, UK, to (i) identify key urban barriers and facilitators to active and healthy ageing, and (ii) facilitate collaboration and knowledge production to lay the groundwork for a citizen science project. Older adults (n = 16; mean age = 72(7.5 SD); 11 female) and community stakeholders (n = 11; 7 female) were engaged in six online group discussions, with audio recordings transcribed and thematically analysed to present key urban barrier and facilitator themes. Ageism, winter, technology and safety were barriers identified by both groups. Outdoor spaces and infrastructure, transportation, community facilities, and Covid-19 pandemic were identified as barriers and/or facilitators. Older adults identified the ageing process as a barrier and diversity of the city, health and mobility and technology as facilitators. For stakeholders, barriers were deprivation and poverty, gender differences, and ethnicity, whereas age-inclusive activities were a facilitator. Organic and active opportunities for older adults and stakeholders to connect, co-produce knowledge on urban environments and share resources presented foundations of solution-building and future collaboration. CSS effectively facilitated a range of stakeholders across local urban spaces to collaborate and co-produce ideas and solutions for enhancing local urban environments to promote active and healthy ageing.

Evaluation of Aging-Friendly Public Spaces in Old Urban Communities Based on IPA Method—A Case Study of Shouyi Community in Wuhan

“…Hamersma M et al [5] conducted a questionnaire survey on community accessibility satisfaction, summarized the items that hinder road accessibility, and constructed a systematic model to analyze improvement methods. Wood, GER et al employed a citizen social science (CSS) research method, encouraging older adults and stakeholders in Birmingham, UK, to participate in discussions, collectively proposing ideas and solutions to enhance local urban environments [6]. Hawkesworth, S et al investigated the association between objectively measured PA and multiple dimensions of the built environment.…”

Residential Environment Assessment by Older Adults in Nursing Homes during COVID-19 Outbreak

“…Many studies in a residential context have focused on the built environment [ 51 , 52 ], the attributes of urban space and green areas [ 53 ], the redesign of a post-pandemic residential environment for quality-of-life improvement [ 54 ], the restriction of routine physical activities in the residential environment [ 55 ], the concentration of activities and services in the built environment [ 56 ] and housing [ 54 ], mental health and the built environment [ 57 ], and barriers to active and healthy ageing [ 58 ].…”