This article outlines six recommendations for a more over 55+ inclusive inner and outer city, boroughs and suburbs. Where generation Y and Z mutually exchange favours and tasks with the both the 55+ and the 75+ generations. Where next-door-neighbours and grandparents offer each other a helping hand, not necessarily out of charity, but maybe as a barter, where time is exchanged for time. Where neighbours with different skills and experiences gain. In an era where both grandparents and grandchildren are living increasingly further apart, gain. A win win for all inhabitants of the city, irrespective of age, resources and background.
This article coincides with the publication of the revised London Plan, the TCPA guide Creating Health Promoting Environments, and the upcoming second draft of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, all of which may benefit from a greater focus on the over-55s. According to one university, baby boomers and generations X, Y and Z are born between 1945, 1965, 1985, 2005 and 2025 respectively.
Afterword
London has a relative young population, with a million new jobs created during the last decade, many taken up by new arrivals from across the UK, the EU and further afield. However, with nine million inhabitants, London may soon have the highest concentration of 75+ inhabitants in Europe – together with three other cities, Istanbul, Moscow and Paris, the Randstad and the Rhein-Ruhr metropolitan regions. Other big cities from where lessons may be learned about how to prepare for the 55+ inclusive urban era, are Berlin, Madrid, Milano and Rome – each with about half the inhabitants of London.
How London meets the challenge of almost a one half increase of the over-55s and a doubling of the over-75s within the next two decades, may determine how successful the city will be in remaining a world leading city in generations to come. As businesses and employees not only seek to locate in cities with world class quality of life for working adults and families. But also where the elderly with a wide range of income, can maintain their quality of life through their retirement.
In a city where 55+ inhabitants can be certain of not only receiving world class health and public services. And where they can be certain of living in apartments, neighbourhoods and town centres carefully adapted to their varied and sometimes complex needs. Whether they are men, women, couples or singles; 55+, 75+ or 95+ years old. Irrespective of educational, ethnic or professional background or experience. Or distance to close family and relatives.
Dutch costal cycling 2018...
The summer was spent mostly in Berlin and London with visits to Oslo, Lisbon and Amsterdam – with 22 days of > 30C during the afternoon, 33 days between 25-30C, and 37-38C on two occasions in the former.
I cycled three and a half day in 30-35C from south to north along the cost of Zeeland, South and North Holland. You see a lot of the countryside, towns, villages and resorts. Thousands of tourists from DE, BE and NL on the beaches, thousands of cyclists – mostly locals, some long distance tourists and hundreds of speed cyclists one evening in a national park near The Hauge. A little of normal everyday life, customs, traditions and values. As well as ecological, economic and socio-cultural aspects of a nation of 17 million inhabitants – similar to the number of citizens of Denmark, Finland and Norway.
Having previously cycled the entire south coast of England from Kings Lynn to Land's End and Dartmoor. As well as the coasts of northwest and the northeast of Germany, the northwest and northeast of Denmark, and the entire south and southwest coasts of France – 2700 miles or 4400 km in total.
