The International Network on Population Ageing and Urbanisation (INPAU)

The International Network on Population Ageing and Urbanisation (INPAU) is a global network of major research groups, local authorities, NGOs and charitable foundations committed to promoting active ageing in urban environments through high quality research.

The Network has core funding from the ESRC International Partnership and Networking Scheme as well as from partner universities, Manchester City Council and third sector organisations.

Drawing on the skills and experience of leading research and policy groups from across Europe, Asia and North America, the Network is collaborating through a range of partners to develop original, innovative, cross-disciplinary research that will contribute directly to public policy in a key area of global concern. There are three main elements influencing the work of the Network:

Ageing and Urbanisation

By 2030, two-thirds of the world’s population will be living in cities. At least a quarter of urban populations will be aged 60 and over with significant implications for urban planning and development. Increasingly, cities will need to balance their role as drivers of economic development with responsibilities for improving the quality of life of their older residents.

Age-Friendly Cities

International organisations have responded to the trends associated with population ageing and urban change with calls to develop what the World Health Organisation has termed ‘Age Friendly Cities’.

Supported by influential bodies such as AGE Platform Europe, the Age-Friendly Cities approach underlines the importance of raising awareness and making proposals on how an age-friendly environment can be promoted at EU, national and local level to ensure the full participation of older people in society.

Age-Friendly Cities: Developing a Critical Perspective

The Age-Friendly city perspective has been influential in raising awareness about the impact of population ageing, especially in the management and planning of urban environments. However, the value of the Age-Friendly Cities approach has yet to be assessed in the context of modern cities and the pressures associated with global economic change. The Network is playing a key role in developing research, policy and practice designed to improve urban environments for different groups of older people.