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Active Ageing Cities

How can a critical approach to the demographics of ageing better support city planning?

“City planners are demographic data-dependent” | Oslo 17th of May – by Gustavo Sugahara

Demographic data such as age, gender, and income, is perhaps the single most important source of information for city planners. As ageing in urban settlement emerges as a global demographic trend, a better understanding of the importance and limitations of demographics should be placed at the top of researchers’ list of priorities.

City planners are demographic data-dependent. That is, they rely on the composition of the neighborhoods and regions to make their decisions. To illustrate the importance of basic population information as the core facet of any city’s decisions, we can simply remember that most of a city’s standards are expressed in terms of population: The number of students per classroom, the number of trash bins by resident, and so forth.

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Active Ageing Cultural Tip Technology

The London Design Museum Challenge to the Dominant Perspective on Ageing

From January 12th to February 19th the London Design Museum had an exhibition dedicated to the demographic change. Entitled “New Old” the exhibition looked at how design can help people lead fuller, healthier and more rewarding lives into old age.

The curator, Jeremy Myerson, a renowned academic dedicated to people-centred and inclusive design, could not be clearer about his perspective on the dominant perception about old-age:

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Active Ageing Technology

Re-thinking Technology for older persons

Re-thinking Technology for older persons
Re-thinking Technology for older persons

Lecture for the HiOA International Summer School on Universal Design of ICT.

The main objective of this presentation is to discuss the political, ideological and ethical implications present on technology design focusing the case of population ageing.