Age-friendly Social Policies and Smart Urban Ecosystems. Stage of Knowledge

Abstract

The "age friendly" concept has gained international recognition through the policies and guidelines developed by the "World Health Organization" (WHO). At the first United Nations (UN) World Assembly on Aging in 1982, affiliated countries endorsed the Vienna International Plan of Action on Aging, the first major international declaration on aging, by launching its policy framework on active aging (Resolution 47/86 ), which includes eight age-friendly dimensions: outdoor spaces and public buildings, transport, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, community support and health services (WHO, 2007a). . The goal was to "optimize opportunities for health, participation and security to improve quality of life as people age." WHO sought to extend the ideological approach to aging beyond physical health to all meaningful engagements – social, economic, cultural, spiritual and civic, to create a framework for assessing the compatibility of the environment for older adults and to monitor the progress of public policies in this direction. Since then, the framework has been used as a basis for developing age-friendly public social policies