Ageing in the City: perceptions of urban age-friendliness in three localities of Bogotá, 2023

Population ageing poses urgent challenges for designing inclusive cities that safeguard the wellbeing of older people. This study analysed perceptions of urban age-friendliness in three localities of Bogotá, guided by the criteria of the World Health Organization’s Vancouver Protocol. An interpretive phenomenological qualitative approach informed the design, using seven focus groups conducted in 2023 with 57 participants (44 older people, 10 caregivers, and 3 service providers). Thematic analysis explored eight dimensions: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and inclusion, employment, communication and information, and social and health services. Findings reveal ambivalent perceptions, with simultaneous experiences of inclusion and exclusion that expose intra-urban territorial inequalities. Participants in Teusaquillo valued available services and support, whereas in Usme and Tunjuelito they identified barriers linked to mobility, insecurity, and deficiencies in infrastructure. Limited access to transport and health services curtailed autonomy, scarce institutional provision reduced opportunities for social participation, and ageism appeared as a cross-cutting theme. Additional factors such as socioeconomic precariousness, the digital divide, and loneliness deepened processes of exclusion. Although Bogotá has advanced towards becoming a more age-friendly city, structural challenges remain that require intersectoral strategies. Strengthening universal accessibility, expanding comprehensive health care, and promoting intergenerational initiatives alongside digital literacy programmes stand out as key actions to reduce social isolation and foster active and equitable ageing.