This paper compares age-friendly policies and initiatives in Manchester (UK), Montreal (Canada) and Brussels (Belgium). Drawing on in-depth interviews with key stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, researchers, practitioners, older people), this paper focuses on the challenges for developing age-friendly environments in socially and ethnically diverse cities. This theme is developed by, first, exploring how each city has addressed the notion of diversity following their admission to the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. Second, through a comparison of the mechanisms adopted for implementing age-friendly policies. Third, by examining the extent to which each city has integrated different groups within their ageing strategies. Planning for diversity, it is argued, is essential to the creation of supportive and inclusive environments for older citizens. The paper concludes by discussing the need for age-friendly developments to reflect a wide variety of ageing experiences and presents possible strategies to achieve this goal.
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