Shaping age-friendly cities and communities: A geospatial approach to the assessment of four cities in Europa

Abstract

"Public involvement in decision-making processes has become increasingly important in contemporary urban planning. The social valorisation of living spaces is vital for enhancing urban spaces and improving citizens' quality of life. This is particularly relevant to vulnerable groups such as older people, a demographic projected to grow significantly. Ensuring that urban environments are inclusive and accessible for older people is a pressing concern. This research addresses this challenge by investigating the spatial distribution of urban spaces in four European cities – Kraków, Wrocław (Poland), The Hague (the Netherlands), and Bucharest (Romania) – to evaluate their age-friendliness. Using hotspot analysis, the study identifies areas characterised as “places” (age-friendly) and “anti-places” (age-unfriendly) based on older people's perceptions of public spaces. Data were collected using KoBo Toolbox, an open-source geodata collection tool, followed by geocoding, integration, hotspot analysis with Getis-Ord Gi*, and the delimitation of “places” and “anti-places”. The findings show that Kraków's city centre as largely age-friendly, whereas the centres of Wrocław and The Hague's were viewed as anti-places, highlighting areas in need of improvement. In Bucharest, places were primarily located on the city's outskirts, with some overlap between age-friendly and age-unfriendly zones in the east. The study also explored the influence of various urban domains, such as outdoor spaces and transportation, on overall perceptions of age-friendliness. Across all cities, outdoor spaces emerged as a key area for improvement. This research offers critical insights for policymakers, identifying areas requiring intervention to foster more inclusive urban environments for older people and to inform future age-friendly urban development."