Population ageing remains the defining global demographic trend of our time and age-friendly environments are key to our collective response. We are now fifteen years since the establishment of the WHO Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities, and halfway through the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing. While progress has been made, competing global agendas and rising economic and geo-political uncertainty mean that the need for us to come together to collaborate, drive change and call for a sustained focus on this issue remains pressing.
In March 300 leaders, policymakers, practitioners and researchers, working on Age-friendly cities and communities from the UK and around the globe came together at the Age-friendly Futures Summit in Greater Manchester.
Built around the themes of advancing, leading, and creating age-friendly cities and communities, it provided an opportunity for participants to discuss cutting edge research, be inspired by practice and connect to each other.
Summit participants during and post conference agreed a summit statement, which sets out some of the key objectives for this collaborative movement, a call to action to join a global network of researchers on this issue.
The Global Age-Friendly Futures Research Network is open to all researchers interested in advancing, leading and creating Age-Friendly futures. To keep in touch, sign up here.
