Page 24 - IJPS-10-2

International Journal of

Population Studies

PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE
Age-friendly cities and lifelong learning

Brian Findsen*
University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
(This article belongs to Special Issue: Active Aging and Educational Gerontology)

Abstract

This article investigates the modern phenomenon of age friendliness, more particularly
the notion of an “age-friendly city,” from both a macro perspective as well as at the level of a
localized application of age friendliness in a single city. Much of the rhetoric of age-friendly
conceptualization has strong affinity to the themes of lifelong learning, and proponents
of each sector can benefit from mutually understanding the respective principles and
implementation strategies of the other. Allied concepts of aging (“growing older”) and
active aging are discussed before discussion of the main discourses of lifelong learning.
A case study of an age-friendly city in New Zealand is presented wherein achievements and
challenges are discussed; an argument is presented that as “close cousins,” actors within
these two domains can enhance the application of their humanistic principles by closer
alignment of policy and practices. Further, challenges ahead for implementation of age
friendliness are discussed, some of which are shared by the lifelong learning movement.

Keywords: Lifelong learning; Age friendly cities; Aging in place; Later life learning; Active
aging

*Corresponding author:
Brian Findsen 1. Introduction
(brianfindsen@gmail.com)
Citation: Findsen, B. (2024). Age- The main objective of this paper is to investigate the modern phenomenon of age friendliness
friendly cities and lifelong learning. from both a macro perspective as well as at the level of a localized application of the age-
International Journal of Population friendly city approach in which the author is engaged. Much of the rhetoric of age-friendly
Studies, 10(2):18-26.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.380 conceptualization is profoundly linked to the themes of lifelong learning, and proponents
of each sector can benefit from mutually understanding the respective principles and
Received: September 30, 2022
implementation strategies of the other. A case study of an age-friendly city in New Zealand
Accepted: February 2, 2024 is presented wherein achievements and challenges are discussed. An argument is presented
Published Online: March 13, 2024 that as “close cousins,” actors within these two domains can enhance the application of their
humanistic principles through closer alignment of policy and practices. Further, this paper
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article also discusses the challenges that lay ahead for the implementation of age friendliness,
distributed under the terms of the some of which are shared by the lifelong learning movement.
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution, 1.1. Origins of the age-friendly movement
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is The exact origins of the movement for age-friendly cities, universities, and communities
properly cited. are imprecise but ostensibly the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO),
Publisher’s Note: AccScience and its support for then emergent initiatives to enhance older persons’ well-being was
Publishing remains neutral with a prominent factor. According to Buffel et al. (2022), in response to dominant forces of
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional increasing urbanization, the First World Assembly on Aging held in Vienna in 1982 and
affiliations. subsequent major global milestones such as the 1986 WHO Ottawa Charter for Health

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 18 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.380