The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the initiative "Age-Friendly Cities " in order to mobilize cities all over the world in the promotion of active ageing. Responding to this challenge, this study tries to understand in what ways is Aveiro (Portugal) an age-friendly city. The methodology adopted the Vancouver Protocol following WHO recommendations. The interview asks the participants to identify positive and negative aspects, as well as suggestions in the following topics: outdoor spaces and buildings; transportation; housing; respect and social inclusion; social participation; communication and information; civic participation and employment; community support and health services. The interview was administered in focus group to a sample of 37 participants (29 females) divided by four groups: i) middle socio-economic status, 60-74 years (8); ii) middle socio-economic status, 75 years and over; (14); iii) low socio-economic status, 60-74 years (8); iv) low socio-economic status, 75 years and over (7). The main results suggest that: the positive aspects include the accessibility of some public buildings; the negative aspects include poor sidewalk quality; the availability of information about activities and events is underlined both as a positive and a negative aspect. The elderly appreciate living in Aveiro but they identify some aspects that should be improved so that ageing can become more and more active.
Cities; Ageing; Old Persons; Participation