The Towards the All Age-Friendly City project is the perfect example of how researchers are actively working to make cities a communicative, shared space for citizens across generations to connect with each other. Working with the Bristol School of Graduate Education, Cabot Institute academics Keri Facer (Professor of Educational & Social Futures) and Helen Manchester (Lecturer in Educational and Social Futures) have been able to explore the potential of designing cities whose ambitions positively affect citizens of all age groups.

Keri and Helen have identified key areas by assessing the outcomes from both the World Health Organisation’s work on age-friendly cities and UNICEF’s work on child-friendly cities. By looking at these two projects, they have been able to piece together a more holistic impression of where conflicts for cities designed for younger as opposed to older people may arise, as well as seeing where they are the same.

Project organisers have recently released a report that shows trust to be the key element, for all age groups, in building an all-age friendly city. Trust can be built by increasing and enhancing opportunities for cross-generational encounters; researchers argue that while this is best made possible through better housing and transport design, there are also a number of alternative opportunities to be had, such as designing digital aids and platforms for encouraging accidental encounters.

The Cabot Institute is delighted to support this project through promotional activities and facilitating attendance at leadership events in the city of Bristol, where Helen has given a presentation on the need for improved engagement among citizens in order to achieve a sustainable future.

Read the press release - Making Bristol more child-friendly

Read the press release - Lego housing, automatic ambulances and car-free streets

Read the blog - Towards the all-age friendly city by Keri Facer and Helen Manchester on the Cabot Institute blog.