The effect of social and built environment factors on aging in place (AIP): A critical synthesis

This capstone project presents a critical synthesis of recent literature (2000-2013) related to aging in place in the urban environment. Definitions across multiple disciplines including geography, gerontology, sociology, and psychology are reviewed and inform the development of a proposed holistic definition of optimal aging in place. The literature is then reviewed and synthesised for social and built environment barriers and facilitators to aging in place, along with two key theoretical models and the World Health Organizations Age Friendly Cities framework leading to a conceptual framework for optimal aging in place. It is proposed that this theoretically grounded framework of optimal aging in place will help guide future work in the area of aging in place in the urban neighbourhood. It was found that the intersectionality of multiple factors affects each individual differently depending on their current level of competence leading to a unique combination of factors involved in optimal aging in place.