Recent work carried out by Marion Patte, a PhD student in geography at the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio Economic Research (LISER), has highlighted a link between the characteristics of the neighbourhood in which older people live and healthy ageing.

In Luxembourg, the number of people aged 65 and over has tripled in 50 years from 33,958 in 1961 to 99,986 in 2017 and this number could rise to 200,000 in 2060, according to the national statistical agency, Statec. In order to better anticipate the societal consequences of this demographic phenomenon, LISER has looked at the increasingly relevant question of healthy ageing.

In this context, Marion Patte has studied the impact of neighbourhoods on ageing. Indeed, several environmental factors play a role here: the neighbourhoods in which older people live are not homogeneous owing to their natural (eg pollution), social (eg ethnic group, socio-economic level) and built-up (eg access to services, walking adaptability, security) characteristics. The combination of these characteristics implies disparities in the quality of neighbourhood living environments that can affect the health of elderly residents and more particularly healthy ageing.

To study this phenomenon, LISER carried out an analysis of the links between some features of the neighbourhoods in which older people live and healthy ageing, through a survey conducted as part of its "Contrasting URban contexts in Healthy Aging" (CURHA) project. This 2015/2016 survey of 500 people aged 65 and over collected detailed data about their neighbourhood and their health.

According to the results of this study, access to neighbourhood services and social cohesion are two characteristics that significantly influence healthy ageing. Older people who placed a high value on the ease of access to neighbourhood services and those who perceive good relations between residents were more likely to be in good health and to remain independent in carrying out their daily tasks. People living in a neighbourhood with good public transport were also more likely to remain independent.

In order to develop social cohesion at the neighbourhood level, LISER has argued that politicians need to set specific targets to combat the isolation and inadequacy of social networks or the integration of newcomers. In addition, in order to contribute to developing the accessibility of local services, the quality of transport services could be improved - something that would be particularly useful for a population experiencing a loss of mobility.