Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 6(10), pp. 751 - 763
DOI: 10.13189/sa.2018.061001
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Older People in a Long-term Regeneration Neighbourhood. An Exploratory Panel Study of Ageing in Place in Hoogvliet, Rotterdam

Reinout Kleinhans ^1,*, Lex Veldboer ², Maarten van Ham ³, Sylvia Jansen ^1
1 Department OTB-Research for the Built Environment, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
² Amsterdam Knowledge Centre for Societal Innovation, Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Law, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
³ Department of Geography & Sustainable Development, School of Geography and Geosciences, University of St Andrews, UK

ABSTRACT

Ageing of the population in European cities creates fundamental challenges with regard to employment, pensions, health care and other age-related services. Many older people want to live independent lives as long as possible. This aspiration is currently strongly supported by many local governments. A precondition for 'ageing in place' is that older people perceive their neighbourhoods as familiar and safe places. In the Netherlands, many neighbourhoods with an ageing population have been subject to urban restructuring policies. An important question is to what extent such policies affect the housing situation, socioeconomic position and social support networks of older people, as these factors strongly assist their ability to 'age in place'. The paper answers this question through an exploratory analysis of a small but unique panel data set from Hoogvliet, a large urban restructuring area in the city of Rotterdam. The partly counter-intuitive results show that restructuring has enabled 'ageing in place'. Compared to stayers, movers within Hoogvliet often report improved housing quality and positive neighbourhood change. The exploratory analyses did not provide evidence of decreased social support or increased loneliness through restructuring-induced disruptions of social ties. Various 'buffer measures' have been effective in preventing negative restructuring impacts on older residents.

KEYWORDS
Ageing in Place, Urban Restructuring, Social Networks, Social Support, Loneliness, Rotterdam

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Reinout Kleinhans , Lex Veldboer , Maarten van Ham , Sylvia Jansen , "Older People in a Long-term Regeneration Neighbourhood. An Exploratory Panel Study of Ageing in Place in Hoogvliet, Rotterdam," Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 6, No. 10, pp. 751 - 763, 2018. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2018.061001.

(b). APA Format:
Reinout Kleinhans , Lex Veldboer , Maarten van Ham , Sylvia Jansen (2018). Older People in a Long-term Regeneration Neighbourhood. An Exploratory Panel Study of Ageing in Place in Hoogvliet, Rotterdam. Sociology and Anthropology, 6(10), 751 - 763. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2018.061001.