Healthy ageing is increasingly understood as a process shaped by intersecting structural, social and environmental conditions. Yet dominant frameworks often fail to account for how marginalisation and place-based exclusion are lived and navigated by structurally excluded groups. This is especially true for older Roma communities, who remain significantly overlooked in both research and policy on ageing. Drawing on qualitative data from Knowledge Café workshops held in Govanhill (Glasgow, Scotland), Luton and Peterborough (England), this paper explores how place, identity and inequity shape experiences of healthy ageing within Roma communities. These workshops brought together policymakers and practitioners alongside Roma community members and advocacy groups. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identify four key themes: (1) mistrust of health services and linguistic exclusion; (2) the symbolic and practical dimensions of ‘home’ in supporting ageing-in-place; (3) gendered and spatialised experiences of social isolation; and (4) the significance of community-led and culturally competent initiatives. Our findings highlight the critical importance of locally embedded responses that support culturally meaningful pathways to healthy ageing. We argue for a fundamental reframing of healthy ageing policy, toward co-produced, place-based and equity-driven approaches that recognise intersecting inequalities and value the lived expertise of marginalised older populations.

Engagement with the historic environment can promote a range of well-being benefits. However, heritage and well-being initiatives are often short-term and fragmented with limited integration of ageing-in-place. Moving forward, a more systematic and place-based approach is required to support the needs of ageing populations and enhance well-being. This paper proposes seven recommendations across the domains of people, place and practice, for supporting older adults’ well-being in the historic environment. These include: to engage in place-making; to embed a knowledge of ageing-in-place into management of the historic environment; to create space for intergenerational practice; to provide third spaces; to seek and form partnerships; to embed co-creation and co-development into management of the historic environment; and to hire and train staff who are knowledgeable on the needs of older adults.

Despite increasing attention to participatory research, older adults remain underrepresented as active research partners. This symposium presents community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects that go beyond inclusion to foster authentic engagement, challenge ageist stereotypes, and empower marginalized older populations. Each study applies key CBPR principles—equity, inclusivity, empowerment, and co-creation—to innovative participatory methods such as citizen science, co-researcher models, participatory realist review and strategic bricolage, ensuring older adults play a central role in knowledge production in third places. The symposium highlights how community spaces—particularly third places—can serve as catalysts for participation, inclusion, and rights to place. Four papers will illustrate diverse approaches to authentic engagement. White presents the Collective of Older Adult Researchers (COAR) initiative, which addresses tokenistic involvement by embedding intergenerational research training and experiential learning within senior centres, positioning them as research hubs. Fang explores ways to improve collaboration between senior centres, their members, and healthcare partners to develop a community-integrated health model for older adults through strategic cross-sectoral workshops. Stone examines how urban gardening and access to green spaces affect the well-being of older adults, using a realist review co-designed with community partners. Sixsmith shares insights from RomaPlaceAge, a project co-led by Roma community members to address the health and well-being of Roma people aged 40+ in the UK. To conclude, Woolrych, Director of the Urban Institute at Heriot-Watt University, will lead a discussion on the future of participatory research and the critical role of third places in fostering meaningful engagement and social connectivity.

As people age, many prefer to stay in their familiar homes and neighbourhoods to maintain well-being, using local services and facilities - an approach known as 'ageing in place'. Despite the perceived decline of local high streets in the UK, they remain central locations offering essential services that can support this approach. This paper examines three case study high streets in Edinburgh, Scotland, exploring how these locales can influence ageing in place and subjective well-being for older adults. The findings reveal four key dimensions of well-being that high streets provide for the ageing population: social well-being, a sense of place, aesthetic enjoyment from being active outside the home, and a sense of mastery and autonomy in pursuing daily activities. The research highlights the potential of local high streets to sustain older people's well-being, reinforcing their importance as urban spaces that support later life. Our study emphasises the important role high streets can play in shaping ageing-in-place policies, expanding the concept of 'place' beyond the home. This aligns with broader health policies in Scotland, where there is a growing focus on the role of place and communities in promoting strengths and resources they already have to support health and well-being.

Engagement with the historic environment can support a broad range of individual and communal well-being benefits. However, to continue supporting well-being while aging, there is a need to situate a knowledge of aging-in-place into the management of the historic environment. Here, we describe the application of a photovoice project to explore place-based attachments and the influence of heritage and memory on the relationship between older adults and the historic environment. A total of 17 participants aged 56-86 took part in the study, from three different areas of Nottinghamshire, UK. Three key themes were presented: 1) interconnected culture and community; 2) place identity and lived experiences; and 3) intergenerational bonding and preserving heritage for the future. The significant role of heritage and memory in shaping older adults' relationship with the historic environment was highlighted. By embodying heritage and memories, historic places strengthen attachments to place and foster a desire to age-in-place within familiar social and community supports. This supports well-being through enhancing community, identity, and belonging. Going forward, a knowledge of place-based attachments is necessary, to integrate historic places into wider community engagement strategies and to empower older adults to engage meaningfully with their environment.

As the global population ages, more older adults are engaging with the historic environment than ever before. However, the needs of this population may not always be met by local and national heritage sites and organizations. Here, eight professionals working in the UK heritage, health and well-being and aging sectors were interviewed to gather their views on how older adults interact with the historic environment. Three key themes emerged from these interviews: barriers to accessing the historic environment; positive well-being implications of engaging with the historic environment; and the need to develop a wider knowledge base. Barriers to accessing the historic environment include physiological barriers, such as mobility issues, psychological barriers, and financial barriers. Positive well-being derived from engaging with the historic environment are explored in two key themes: communal well-being, and personal well-being. Attention is drawn to activities developed by heritage organizations to engage with older adults, and how these can be better coordinated and implemented to maximize the benefits the historic environment can offer, and minimize the barriers.

Roma people, Europe’s largest ethnic minority, face systemic exclusion, discrimination, and health disparities, contributing to significantly lower life expectancy than the general population. In the UK, these inequities persist, particularly for older Roma individuals who navigate intersecting challenges related to health, housing, and social inclusion. The RomaPlaceAge Project, a research initiative co-led with Roma community members, explores the health and well-being experiences of Roma individuals aged 40+ across three case study sites - Govanhill (Scotland), Peterborough, and Luton (England). Central to this research is the role of third places - public and semi-public environments such as GP practices, outdoor spaces, community centres, and housing estates - where Roma individuals engage with services and social networks, often in the face of complex barriers including language difficulties, digital exclusion, and insecure housing. Through three knowledge café events with stakeholders (healthcare providers, NGOs, police, educators, and individuals with lived experience), and in-depth interviews with Roma aged 40+, the project uncovers how third places either support or hinder health and well-being. Preliminary findings highlight the importance of micro-interactions and relationality in shaping access to services, the inaccessibility of healthcare services, the underutilisation of green spaces, and the role of community-led initiatives in fostering inclusion. By positioning third places as critical to health and well-being, this research contributes to discourses on participatory and place-based approaches to ageing, advocating for targeted interventions that promote equity, inclusion, and ageing well in the right place.

Despite their perceived decline, local high streets in the UK remain valuable central and well-connected places that can foster ageing in place, yet their potential to sustain well-being in old age has been overlooked. Using qualitative methods, the paper explores what features of local high streets support older people's well-being in three local town centres in Edinburgh, Scotland. The findings show there are three main domains of local high streets' public realm that enable older adults' well-being, namely the streetscape, the spatial organization and accessibility of amenities and services, and the provision of housing that can foster town centre living.

Intergenerational communities can be understood as communities where multiple age groups interact, feel valued, and contribute to community life in an inclusive way. However, older adults in many communities in the UK can be excluded from intergenerational mixing. The PlaceAge project undertook interviews, photo-diaries, community mapping workshops, and knowledge caf & eacute;s to explore older adult experiences of and participation in their cities and communities. Three key themes were generated, showcasing intergenerationality: (1) Connectedness in place and space; (2) Feeling old in siloed communities; and (3) Play in everyday life. This research emphasizes the importance of inclusive and accessible intergenerational places and activities that foster sustainable social connections and combat ageism. It highlights the value of playfulness, skill-sharing and co-mentoring, and advocates for the importance of incorporating intergenerational opportunities into the planning and development of age-friendly cities and communities.

OBJECTIVE:Through interviews with older adults and professionals in Chongqing, China, this paper explores the challenges and opportunities faced by smart cities that undertake to better support ageing-in-place. METHODS:We undertook a qualitative multi-methods approach, engaging 46 professional stakeholders and 64 older people to examine the role of smart cities in enabling older people to age-in-place in Chongqing, China. RESULTS:With the development of smart cities, technology has the potential to facilitate ageing-in-place by creating opportunities for heathy and active ageing. This study identified specific priorities in delivering age-friendly smart cities, including the following: shaping smart environments around the everyday lives of older people, designing inclusive and equitable smart cities and ensuring strong forms of institutional governance, trust and relationship building with older people. CONCLUSIONS:The age-friendly city and communities movement (AFCC) and smart city policy instruments have potential for realising active ageing by supporting mobility, access to services and civic participation. However, there exists a disconnect between smart city policy and practice in delivering tangible well-being outcomes for older people. Addressing this requires greater cross-sectoral working, reconciling smart city policy priorities with AFCC domains and creating the institutional and governance framework to enable socially sustainable cities to support ageing-in-place.

Introduction Evolving aging societies, ongoing digitalisation and circumstances of COVID-19 are changing living conditions for growing older. There is an increased urgency to view public health with a focus on integrating people of all ages into the matrix of opportunities afforded in their communities. This study initiates the conceptualization of an intergenerational, age-friendly living ecosystem (AFLE) to enhance public health planning. Methodology A participatory study was conducted using a multi-methods approach. Six virtual co-creation sessions ( n = 35–50 participants), alongside a mainly open-ended INTERGEN survey designed specifically for this study ( n = 130) were conducted to conceptualize multilevel ideas for building intergenerational age-friendly places using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems model. At the height of COVID-19, virtual applications (Zoom, Moodboard) and case studies, creative methods (drawing, photography, storytelling and spotlight sessions) were applied to engage academic and non-academic participants between ages 5 – 80+ years, across eight countries. Sessions were video-recorded with visual themes captured by a graphic facilitator. The survey covered issues of multigenerational interactions; intergenerational and age-friendly place features; place safety; and necessary stakeholders required for creating intergenerational and age-friendly places. Data were reflexively analyzed using a team approach to thematic analysis. Results Findings present both the thematic analysis of Virtual Co-creation Camps (VCCs) and the INTERGEN survey results. These findings are addressed in three overarching categories that highlight the necessary characteristics of AFLEs as suggested by the VCC participants and survey respondents: (i) Sensory factors: feeling and emotion as starting points for physical design; (ii) Physical and digital factors in designing AFLE spaces and places; and (iii) Socio-cultural factors: tackling ageism and exclusion as part of the solution. Discussion The analysis resulted in a pathway toward enhanced understandings on how multi-generations can better interact with fluctuating organizational domains (industry, voluntary, academic and public sectors) in urban and rural settings to facilitate intergenerational connectivity. Through processes of co-creation, an AFLE proof of concept and roadmap for public health planning was developed to support and provide opportunities for people as they age to reap the socioeconomic benefits of their local and virtual communities and help them become well integrated, valued and contributory members of society.

Background: Forced relocation is not always experienced as a single occurrence or event in time. Currently, there is a limited knowledge on how several substantial relocations across a lifetime impacts the health and wellbeing of older people. Aim: This study explores forced relocation experiences of older, low-income migrant Canadians through inquiries into their past place histories and examines how these have shaped opportunities and oppressions leading up to transitions into affordable housing in Richmond, BC, Canada. Methods: Informed by an intersectional place perspective model developed specifically for this research, a multi-method, qualitative community-based approach was undertaken involving in-depth interviews (N = 15), storytelling sessions (N = 10), and photo-tours (N = 8), with 28 participants. Narrative and visual data were co-analysed with participants, using a framework thematic analysis approach. Results: The analysis revealed oppressive structures that influenced the everyday lives of older people, which generated feelings of distress, fear, exclusion, feeling unsettled, and being ‘othered’. However, within oppressive structures of enforcement emerged experiences of empowerment engendered through gaining a sense of community, realising social belonging and family, maintaining pride and personal integrity as well as capturing community, social, psychological, physical and health transitions. Discussion: Unique insights acquired from an intersectional place analysis highlight how past experiences of place shape current perceptions of home and provide important implications for supporting and maintaining the health and wellbeing of older people during this type of relocation. The theoretical resource developed for this study, offers researchers, planners and developers an important tool for procuring a more critical perspective when creating homes for marginalised persons.

The importance of home in constructing notions of identity, self, and belonging is well recognized in the aging in place literature. However, much of the research has focused on mainstream population groups, rather than on the experiences of ethnic minority communities, whose lifecourse trajectories may reveal one of transience in relation to place, aging and home. Based on 48 semi-structured individual interviews and five community mapping workshops with 65 older Turkish adults living in north London, this paper aims to provide insight into how the home is negotiated and understood by older Turkish migrants. Thematic analysis of the data revealed three interrelated themes important to the narratives of older Turkish people: "Home as a reflection of identity and self", "Home as a social and cultural place" and "Transnationality, mobility and home".

Abstract A global ageing population presents opportunities and challenges to designing urban environments that support ageing in place. The World Health Organization's Global Age-Friendly Cities movement has identified the need to develop communities that optimise health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age. Ensuring that age-friendly urban environments create the conditions for active ageing requires cities and communities to support older adults’ rights to access and move around the city (‘appropriation’) and for them to be actively involved in the transformation (‘making and remaking’) of the city. These opportunities raise important questions: What are older adults’ everyday experiences in exercising their rights to the city? What are the challenges and opportunities in supporting a rights to the city approach? How can the delivery of age-friendly cities support rights to the city for older adults? This paper aims to respond to these questions by examining the lived experiences of older adults across three cities and nine neighbourhoods in the United Kingdom. Drawing on 104 semi-structured interviews with older adults between the ages of 51 and 94, the discussion centres on the themes of: right to use urban space; respect and visibility; and the right to participate in planning and decision-making. These themes are illustrated as areas in which older adults’ rights to access and shape urban environments need to be addressed, along with recommendations for age-friendly cities that support a rights-based approach.

Leisure plays a key role in supporting psychological, social and emotional well-being in later life. This paper aims to explore the relationship between leisure, place and income from the perspectives of older adults in the UK and Brazil and how older adults’ participation in leisure supports the development of sense of place within their communities. The data presented in the paper was gathered through a case study approach involving three cities in Brazil (Pelotas, Belo Horizonte e Brasília) and three in the UK (Edinburgh, Manchester and Glasgow). The findings draw upon qualitative data collected through the following research methods: face-to-face interviews, go-along interviews and photo diaries. The results have shown the low-income neighbourhoods studied both in Brazil and the UK are likely to have less leisure opportunities which tend to be provided by facilities such as CRAS (Reference Centre for Social Assistance) and communities centres. The lack of leisure opportunities particularly in low-income areas can negatively impact on the way older adults experience the sense of place within their neighbourhoods.

Social participation has been recognized as an important component of healthy aging. At the same time, research has identified the central role of the neighborhood environment in determining healthy aging and social participation in old age. However, there is a paucity of research exploring the everyday lives of adults over 50 from ethnic minority backgrounds in relation to social participation and place. This paper focuses on the experiences of social participation among the Turkish-speaking community in north London. We undertook 48 semi-structured individual interviews and five community mapping workshops with 17 participants, all with people over 50, in London between March and November 2017. We supplemented these activities with 13 interviews with professional participants as coordinators of Turkish/Kurdish community associations. We thematically analyzed these interviews and mapping workshops and identified three interconnected themes: "feelings of security in the neighborhood," "density and diversity," and "proximity to ethnic amenities" to explain participants' social participation patterns within the context of their neighborhood. The findings articulate the pathways through which personal characteristics and perceived identities intersect with the physical, social and cultural environment of the neighborhood to shape opportunities for social participation among Turkish-speaking adults over 50.

Brazil, like other countries in the world, has been showing an increasingly long-lasting population growth. Over the last decade, much research has focused on understanding the complexity and impacts of aging. However, it is still not clear whether there is any relationship between the specific ways of life of the elderly and the sense of place they experience. We ask: what places and types of activities can contribute to a better quality of life for the elderly in their home, neighborhood, neighborhood and city? In order to analyze how the elderly live with the places they inhabit in contemporary urbanity, in order to provide new strategies for inclusive urban planning, the research used the method of photographic diaries to understand these dynamics. The study was applied in the Brazilian cities of Pelotas/RS, Belo Horizonte/MG and Brasília/DF, each one with three sections of neighborhoods chosen by different income groups (high, medium and low). Even with their great urban, economic and cultural differences, these cities have in common the transformations in the age pyramid, making the study more heterogeneous and diverse. As a result, it was possible to approach the concept of “becoming-child”, bringing together contemporary French philosophy with the sense of "good place" found in the elderly in the research. These coexistences led us to propose the exercise of composition of a “becoming-child-elderly”, towards a will to power and affirmation of architectural and urban life for a “creative-active” elderly person. Keywords: Aging, Photographicdiaries, Becoming-Child-Elderly, Territories, Elderlyfriendlycity,Senseofplace.