2023-11-09-世界银行-银色色调_建设适合时代的城市-EAP区域论文（英）-2023.10-36页_36页_3mb

Overview of the Report This report, "Silver Hues: Building Age-Ready Cities," examines the rapid aging process in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region and provides strategies for developing cities that are inclusive, safe, and accessible for all residents, regardless of age.

Regional Trends in Aging The EAP region is experiencing rapid aging, with projections indicating a doubling of the elderly population by 2050. Countries like China and Singapore are transitioning to aging societies quickly, while Pacific Island nations face unique challenges. Urbanization and aging are closely linked, with most of the elderly population concentrated in cities, exacerbating the need for age-ready urban infrastructure.

Aging and Urbanization Aging correlates strongly with urbanization, as cities grapple with a growing elderly population. This trend varies across the region, with some nations like Japan already highly urbanized and aging, while others, such as Vietnam, face concurrent urbanization and aging. Investing early in age-ready urban design can mitigate challenges and leverage demographic changes.

Who Are Older Persons? Older adults in the EAP region exhibit diverse socioeconomic characteristics. Many live longer than men, particularly in countries like Japan, which skews gender demographics in older populations. Poverty, isolation, and varying living arrangements (e.g., with family or alone) highlight inequalities. Care work often falls disproportionately on women, worsening economic outcomes and inequality.

Building Age-Ready Cities Age-ready cities must be adaptive, productive, and inclusive, prioritizing universal design, accessible housing, and infrastructure for all residents. The six key action areas are: Universal Design (e.g., barrier-free environments), Housing Solutions, Multigenerational Spaces (e.g., promoting intergenerational interactions), Improved Transportation, Technology (e.g., digital tools), and Efficient Spatial Forms (e.g., transit-oriented development).

Benefits and Economic Opportunities Age-ready cities offer universal benefits, enhancing mobility, health, and economic inclusion for older persons. This includes a growing market for goods and services catering to an aging population, with opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. Climate risks and disasters further necessitate resilient urban designs with inclusive emergency planning.

Conclusion and Recommendations The EAP region demands proactive, context-specific strategies for age-readiness. Three groups of countries—highly urbanized and aging, early-stage urbanizers, and young urban populations—require tailored approaches. Key steps include setting long-term visions, investing in data and stakeholder consultations, designing inclusive infrastructure, and mainstreaming age-readiness into monitoring and evaluation. Urgent action is needed to address poverty, inequality, and ensure dignified aging for all.