Planning for age-friendly cities and communities in East Asia : the oriental paradigm

Abstract

The World Health Organization’s global movement towards age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC) has entered the next decade. Many international experiences have confirmed that local interpretation is key to successful implementation. For most cities in East Asia in high-density and mixed land-use urban contexts, accessible built environment settings are vital for active, successful ageing. This chapter discusses how to interpret the AFCC movement in the East Asian context and argues that the distinct cultural characteristics and urban context create a unique paradigm for delivering age-friendly environments. Two case studies in Taiwan, the first East Asian political body officially adopting the AFCC in 2010, from different spatial levels, including the community, individual, and institutional levels, showcase a collective point of view for the oriental AFCC movement paradigm.