Why Do(n’t) People Move When They Get Older? Estimating the Willingness to Relocate in Diverse Ageing Cities

Abstract

Two of the dominant processes shaping today’s European cities are the ageing and diversification of the population. Given that the range of action usually decreases in later life, the living environment around the place of residence plays an important role in the social integration of the older generation. Hence, spatial patterns of residence indicate the extent of opportunities for the older population to engage in urban life and, therefore, need to be addressed by urban planning and policy. The aim of this article is to study the interrelation between diversity in later life—in terms of migrant history, gender, social class, and age—as well as planned and actual (past) movements of elders. We have chosen Berlin as a case study and draw from a quantitative survey with elders (age 60+) from diverse backgrounds (N = 427). Our results from descriptive analysis and statistical hypothesis tests show that age impacts people’s past and planned movement; we observe a peak in the decisions to move at the age of 65–75 and a drop in the inclination to move among people over 80. None of the other factors is similarly influential, but we observe appreciable tendencies regarding the impact of gender and social class on planned movements. Our study suggests that variables other than classic socio-demographic data, such as apartment size, rent, social networks, and health, and their interrelations may offer a promising starting point for achieving a full picture of older people’s movement behaviour.

Does spatial proximity supplant family ties? Exploring the role of neighborly support for older people in diverse, aging cities

“…Regarding migration-related diversity, six participants were born in countries other than Germany, notably in India, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, Iran, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The focus group discussions revolved around topics that were identified as important in preliminary expert interviews (see Haacke et al, 2019): (1) images of old age, (2) challenges in later life, (3) social networks and support, and (4) housing and neighborhood. The discussions took 1.5 to 2.5 hours and were led by one (FG III & FG IV) or two (FG I & FG II) researchers, respectively.…”

“…The findings stem from the research project "Superdiversity and aging cities?," which was conducted from 2017-2020 in Berlin (see Haacke et al, 2019). Berlin was chosen as a case study as it reflects two dominant processes in Germany's demographic transition.…”

Urban green spaces for the social interaction, health and well-being of older people— An integrated view of urban ecosystem services and socio-environmental justice

“…McHugh, 2003Oliver, Blythe, & Roe, 2018). Weiterhin sind Muster und Motivationen für Umzüge im Alter und die Destinationen der Umzüge Gegenstand wissenschaftlicher Debatten (Haacke et al, 2019;Litwak & Longino Jr, 1987;Teti et al, 2012;Wiseman, 1980;Zimmerli, 2016).…”

“…Even though in Germany population ageing happens throughout the country and severely affects rural regions (Schlömer, 2015), social diversity is primarily found in cities (Siebel, 2015). This is especially true in the case of Berlin, the capital of Germany, where diversity in terms of migration, sexual orientation and income disparities is distinct (Haacke et al, 2019).…”

Cities That Are Losing Inhabitants: An Analysis of the Brazilian Reality

“…Therefore, cities with a higher degree of economic development attract the young and adult population more because they possess better conditions and access to employment (Barreira, Ramalho, Panagopoulos, & Guimarães 2017;Wolff, Fol, Roth, & Cunningham-Sabot, 2017). The degree of attractiveness of the most economically developed cities is of particular importance in the context of population decrease, because young people tend to leave the less attractive cities early, when compared with the elderly, thus perpetuating the cycle of decline (Ubarevičienė & van Ham, 2017;Barreira et al, 2019;Haacke, Enßle, Haase, Helbrecht, & Lakes, 2019). In Brazil, economic factors are the main cause for the loss of city inhabitants.…”