Abstract
Objective
Through interviews with older adults and professionals in Chongqing, China, this paper explores the challenges and opportunities faced by smart cities that undertake to better support ageing‐in‐place.
Methods
We undertook a qualitative multi‐methods approach, engaging 46 professional stakeholders and 64 older people to examine the role of smart cities in enabling older people to age‐in‐place in Chongqing, China.
Results
With the development of smart cities, technology has the potential to facilitate ageing‐in‐place by creating opportunities for heathy and active ageing. This study identified specific priorities in delivering age‐friendly smart cities, including the following: shaping smart environments around the everyday lives of older people, designing inclusive and equitable smart cities and ensuring strong forms of institutional governance, trust and relationship building with older people.
Conclusions
The age‐friendly city and communities movement (AFCC) and smart city policy instruments have potential for realising active ageing by supporting mobility, access to services and civic participation. However, there exists a disconnect between smart city policy and practice in delivering tangible well‐being outcomes for older people. Addressing this requires greater cross‐sectoral working, reconciling smart city policy priorities with AFCC domains and creating the institutional and governance framework to enable socially sustainable cities to support ageing‐in‐place.
Through interviews with older adults and professionals in Chongqing, China, this paper explores the challenges and opportunities faced by smart cities that undertake to better support ageing‐in‐place.
Methods
We undertook a qualitative multi‐methods approach, engaging 46 professional stakeholders and 64 older people to examine the role of smart cities in enabling older people to age‐in‐place in Chongqing, China.
Results
With the development of smart cities, technology has the potential to facilitate ageing‐in‐place by creating opportunities for heathy and active ageing. This study identified specific priorities in delivering age‐friendly smart cities, including the following: shaping smart environments around the everyday lives of older people, designing inclusive and equitable smart cities and ensuring strong forms of institutional governance, trust and relationship building with older people.
Conclusions
The age‐friendly city and communities movement (AFCC) and smart city policy instruments have potential for realising active ageing by supporting mobility, access to services and civic participation. However, there exists a disconnect between smart city policy and practice in delivering tangible well‐being outcomes for older people. Addressing this requires greater cross‐sectoral working, reconciling smart city policy priorities with AFCC domains and creating the institutional and governance framework to enable socially sustainable cities to support ageing‐in‐place.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 264-270 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Australasian Journal on Ageing |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 19 Mar 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2024 |
Keywords
- age-friendly health systems
- ageing well
- digital health technology
- policy making
- qualitative research
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Community and Home Care
