Urbanisation and Well-Being of Ageing Population in the Twenty-first Century: A Scoping Review of Available Assessment Tools

Ageing population and urbanisation are two global trends that together comprise major forces shaping the twenty-first Century. Cities are growing, and so are their share of ageing population. In 2019, the world’s population aged 60 years or over numbered 703 million and is projected to double to 1.5 billion by 2050 (UN, 2019). By then, 1 in 6 people will be over 65 years of age (UN, 2019).

Urban areas have already started experiencing the challenges of providing services and infrastructure to support ageing residents’ well-being and necessities. In practical terms, an age-friendly city adapts its structures and services to be accessible to and inclusive of senior citizens with varying needs and capacities. However, the global ageing population is a major concern for economists and policymakers since it has numerous economic and financial implications affecting economic growth, public healthcare, and social support systems.

After an initial search that included 466 items from a variety of sources of available evidence, this research adopted a scoping review following the work of (Arskey, O’Malley Int J Social Res Methodol 8:19–32, 2005) in order to map the key concepts underpinning population ageing, well-being, and urbanisation. In particular, the review seeks to examine various ageing well-being assessment tools (qualitative and quantitative) so as to define the recurrent indicators, criteria, areas covered and what is missing. This review was complemented by a summary of the research findings and research gaps in existing literature pertaining to the well-being of the ageing population. The review has highlighted four critical characteristics of a pragmatic well-being assessment model for the ageing population, including the need for individualisation to a specific context, the subjective and objective relevance, flexibility in choosing the appropriate frameworks, and the importance to narrate the progressive status in the well-being of an individual over time. In a fast ageing world, this review helps in capacity-building and design thinking by bridging academic knowledge and real-world planning and design endeavours.