It was great to be invited by the Guardian recently to contribute to an article on age-friendly cities (read here). The journalist, Alice Grahame, had read our new book about age-friendly housing and was keen to include this topic in her piece, which was published today. We talked about the fact that a growing number of people are now choosing to retire to the city, rather than the coast or the country, and that it makes a great deal of sense. It’s easier to get around a city and a much broader range of amenities is on offer. Contemporary apartment living is safe, accessible, energy efficient and low-maintenance, too.

Housing for older people encompasses an ever-widening range of options and it’s right that it should – ‘older people’ range from 55 to 100+ and it's lazy to assume that one or two choices is all we need. Co-housing in particular, such as New Ground (pictured above) by PTE, is catching the imagination of many older people who like the idea of living with friends, rather than imposing on family or living with strangers of a similar age. Today’s older people are typically more discerning and generally wealthier than previous generations, and this is helping to drive up design quality. I’m very optimistic about the future of age-friendly housing and its place in age-friendly cities.