Neighbourhood regeneration and social exclusion in later life: lessons from three decades of work and proposals for the future

Purpose This paper aims to review policies on urban regeneration and renewal and their benefits for older people in tackling social exclusion. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a review of relevant policies on community development and urban regeneration since the 1970s, with a particular focus on New Labour policies relating to social exclusion. Subsequent developments in neighbourhood-based policies over the past decade are also examined. The paper is based on an overview of the relevant evaluation literature and associated studies. Findings This paper reviews the history of neighbourhood-based urban regeneration programmes, in the context of a renewed focus on area-based initiatives around health, regeneration and child development. The evidence outlined suggests that older people have often been marginal to major urban programmes over the past three decades, proposing a new approach to developing neighbourhood-based programmes for older people. Practical implications The paper argues that a new neighbourhood-based strategy for urban regeneration must have the following elements: first, taking stock of previous initiatives and programmes; second, updating the framework provided by Sure Start for Later Life; third, supporting minority groups in tackling the housing crisis within urban communities; fourth, accelerating improvements in social infrastructure within communities; and fifth, developing new systems of neighbourhood governance which can empower residents. Social implications See practical implications. Originality/value The paper provides an assessment of the relevance for older people of three decades of policies designed to improve areas of multiple deprivation. The paper brings together a range of literature not hitherto presented in a single article.