Humans develop through several factors. One of them is the environment, which is fundamental to our interaction and is linked to our thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Today, a new model of city is booming: cities friendly to the elderly.
The term comes from English. Portuguese translation means something like ‘age-friendly cities’, spaces that promote the improvement of environments for the benefit of the people who live there, regardless of their age.
- As a result.
- This type of city works with the elderly to increase opportunities for development and contribution to communities.
- Regardless of the year of their birth.
- In this way the city promotes dignity and autonomy.
- It also encourages older adults to participate in daily life without discrimination and safety.
To do this, it intervenes in the environments, in order to adapt them to the elderly, but why?On the one hand, because most spaces are not suitable for these ages, which means that these people do not continue to grow and their participation in communities becomes limited; on the other hand, an environment suitable for people in difficulty is an environment conducive to all.
Several urban projects are underway. In the United States, where the retired population is growing, there are several initiatives, there are places like The Villages (Florida) that function as a set of villages with age-appropriate infrastructure. long town suitable for people of this age group?
Malta would be an example of a nation friendly to the elderly, the country guarantees the participation of the elderly not only by making favorable spaces, but also by promoting health, taking into account the following factors:
In addition, senior-friendly cities promote inclusive urban development, so everyone, or most groups, can interact in a city that meets their needs.
Elder-friendly cities are also called “inclusive era”, which means “inclusive cities”. They promote the well-being of all, because in a community where everyone is gaining value, an environment is created that promotes joint development. , with the participation of all, we would promote the establishment of links that are essential for our social health.
In addition, because they have a positive impact on our emotions and because our older adults feel included, they promote better emotional health. It’s fantastic! We don’t mean it’s the only thing we need emotionally, but it’s a point in favor of this aspect of our well-being.
As if that were not enough, cities friendly to the elderly are firmly committed to disease prevention and health promotion, which means expanding our awareness and seeking the best for our health and thus offering a better quality of life.
There are studies that make a diagnostic assessment of how cities adapt to the elderly; for example, Expposto Miralles, Martínez Sánchez, Munteanu Munteanu and Caballer Miedes (2017) discussed this problem in the city of Castellón.
The idea of a city concerns us all. We can drive this idea in different sectors:
It is a profession that involves many tasks to cope with a growing population. The World Health Organization (WHO) monitors these types of cities and provides official documents that guide the creation of these spaces effectively. For example, in its guide “Age-Friendly Cities”, the WHO encourages cities to become suitable environments for people in difficulty.
In short, cities friendly to the elderly, born of our greatest life expectancy, are increasingly needed. Each of us, as a member of Cities, can contribute to an increasing number of Friends Cities of the Elderly.
It’s not just about removing physical or mental barriers, it’s also about the public being able to make an effort to help those in need.