Sustainability for whom? Cities and buildings through the lens of older people

Abstract

As we move towards larger and more complex urban developments and with increasing occurrences of extreme weather resulting in significant environmental, societal and economic impacts, it is no longer a question that cities around the world must aim for sustainability. The past few decades have seen efforts by many countries to tackle these critical issues. At the same time, many countries also face significant demographic changes, with almost a quarter of their population over 65 years will be ageing in place, in their own homes. Yet cities, particularly our inner-city built environments, are spaces that are usually imagined, planned and structured for a younger, working-age demographic. This paper discusses the current gap in knowledge in addressing sustainability of our cities and buildings, and proposes a new way of engaging people who are often forgotten, yet they have many years of experience and wisdom about how to live sustainably: the older people. Two examples of ongoing research with older ‘citizen scientists’ are presented. Both cases demonstrate that it is critical to consider cities and buildings from the eyes of older people in society.