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Ageing and population shrinking: implications for sustainability in the urban century

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Paper Summary

Paperzilla title
The Silver Tsunami Meets Sustainability: Can Ageing Cities Thrive?

Ageing and shrinking urban populations present a two-sided coin for sustainability, posing challenges like increasing healthcare demand and vulnerability to disasters, while offering opportunities for reduced consumption and environmental pressures. Emerging interventions, such as boosting health care and mobility innovation, enhancing green spaces, and fostering social inclusion through urban knowledge co-production, are crucial to harnessing this demographic shift's potential for achieving long-term urban sustainability.

Explain Like I'm Five

Scientists found that when cities have more older people and fewer kids, it can be both a bit tricky and good for our planet. It's tricky because older people need more care, but good because fewer people might use less stuff, which helps the Earth stay healthy.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Limitations

Limited Scope
The perspective primarily focuses on high-income countries, limiting its generalizability to diverse global contexts with varying demographic and socioeconomic factors.
Lack of Policy Analysis
The paper lacks in-depth analysis of specific policy interventions and their effectiveness in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by ageing and shrinking populations.
Limited Discussion on Co-production
The discussion on urban knowledge co-production is limited, and it would be enhanced by exploring its specific applications and providing implementation examples.
Insufficient Discussion on Climate Change
The paper briefly mentions climate change, which plays a significant role in migration patterns and demographic shifts. A more detailed examination of climate change impacts on ageing and shrinking populations is essential.

Rating Explanation

This perspective provides valuable insights into a complex issue that requires more attention. It highlights crucial challenges and opportunities arising from ageing and shrinking urban populations, effectively linking them to SDGs. While the paper could benefit from expanding its scope and policy analysis, its contribution to current discourse on urban sustainability is notable.

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Topic Hierarchy

Domain: Social Sciences
Subfield: Urban Studies

File Information

Original Title: Ageing and population shrinking: implications for sustainability in the urban century
Uploaded: July 14, 2025 at 06:48 AM
Privacy: Public