Inclusive City and Active Ageing

Scope & Objectives

It is already known within CITTA the research that has been developed in the area of active aging, associated to different urban areas, to the quality of urban life and to citizens' health. This research is oriented towards the following themes: i) studies with particular emphasis on the exercise of walking; ii) inclusive policies of requalification of public spaces and mitigation of urban vulnerability in older communities; iii) solutions for greater resilience of the elderly in the face of climate transition; iv) active participation of the elderly; v) "ageing in place" strategies; vi) collaborative housing models; etc. Preparing the city today to include these more vulnerable populations means preparing the city for everyone, whether for the younger people of today or for those who will soon be less young. This visionary perspective is strongly expressed in recent studies by fellow researchers from Northern Europe and the USA.

Objectives within the scope of CITTA's activity:

  1. Due to its unequivocal actuality, this theme intends to continue to expand the national and international role of CITTA.
  2. The theme has the potential to "attract (national and international) funding and qualified researchers to the research centre" (as can be seen by the recent funding awarded by FCT to the Project "Climate adaptation for elderly people living in vulnerable urban areas. Design of a climate responsive and locally participated methodology - PTDC/GES-URB/2038/2021).
  3. Due to its intrinsic and natural transversality, the theme will contribute to a future organizational structure capable of counterbalancing "the vertical logic (Groups) with a horizontal logic, in view of the substantial growth of the centre throughout the last decade". It is emphasized, however, that this transversal logic does not intend to overlap with the vertical logic in which the current groups operate, but only to enhance the collaborations that have naturally already been established either between colleagues within the same university or between colleagues from the two universities.
  4. The theme will also contribute "to the active collaboration and regular interaction of its members", as well as opening new opportunities for an "active integration of more recent members".
  5. The theme will tend to gain increasing relevance at the local level, as a reflection of the recent decentralization of competences to municipal bodies and inter-municipal entities in the field of health (Decree-Law no. 23/2019), in the promotion of "disease prevention programmes, with special focus on the promotion of healthy lifestyles and active ageing".
Team

Integrated Researchers with PhD:

  • Ana Bastos
  • Ana Monteiro
  • Anabela Ribeiro
  • Cecília Rocha
  • Luísa Mendes Batista
  • Paulo Conceição
  • Sara Santos