The “Healthy Ageing” Transfer Network
Objectives, activity planning and methodologies
The URBACT Programme
URBACT is a European exchange and learning programme promoting
sustainable urban development.
It aims at enabling CITIES to work together to develop solutions to major urban
challenges, reaffirming the key role they play in facing increasingly complex
societal changes.
CITIES are supported to develop pragmatic, new and sustainable SOLUTIONS,
mainstreaming economic, social and environmental dimensions.
Cities are also encouraged to SHARE good practices and lessons learned with
all professionals involved in urban policy throughout Europe.
URBACT is 500 cities, 29 countries and 7,000 active participants.
URBACT is jointly financed by the European Union (European Regional
Development Fund) and the Member States.
The URBACT II Programme
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6 Pilot Transfer Networks
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3 Pilot Delivery Networks
Healthy Ageing
Transfer Network
Lead partner
The City of Udine
City partners
Brighton & Hove
Edinburgh
Klaipeda
Grand-Poitiers
The work programme of the “Healthy Ageing” Project
The good practice of Udine
There are four main strands of activity:
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The production of a Healthy Ageing Profile of the city
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Building a Mapping System matching the distribution of the elderly on the
city territory to the provision of public, health and social services offered at
local level (GIS)
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Deploying the Vancouver Protocol within the WHO project Age Friendly
Cities
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Promoting opportunities for older people to remain physically, mentally and
socially active as long as possible
The production of a Healthy Ageing Profile of
the city
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allow an overall understanding
of the local context and to
provide evidence for promoting
health at the local level
create new opportunities for
intersectoral work and
community involvement and
act as a basis for setting
priorities and taking decisions.
start a process of social model
of building health of the
population, ensuring all
components of society are
involved
The profile is based on 22
indicators grouped in three
main thematic areas
Building a Mapping System
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matching the distribution of older
people in the city to the provision of
public, health and social services
offered at local level (using GIS)
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In Udine, this research was
conducted in collaboration with the
Statistics Department of the
University of Udine. A number of
“City Health Maps” have been
produced which analyse the
distribution of older people and the
accessibility of services such as
general practitioners, hospitals, postoffices, bus stops, leisure centres,
day care centres, pharmacies etc.
this enables identification of gaps
and overlaps.
Deploying the Vancouver Protocol…
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Record experiences and needs of older people through a
consultative process with citizens, caregivers and providers
of services in the public, private and voluntary sector to
discover the existing “age-friendly” urban features as well
as the barriers to active ageing.
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How can we define an Age-Friendly City?
- recognizes the importance of older people and respects their decisions;
- encourages their participation and involvement in community life;
- promotes a physical and social environment that supports active ageing
- addresses needs of ageing in a flexible way
…How?
Udine
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Phase 1 - 5 focus groups were held:
4 with older people aged 60-74 and
>75 and 1 with caregivers.
Phase 2 - 3 more focus groups were
added: 1 with public service
providers; 1 with the private service
providers; 1 with volunteers. Each
focus group looked at 8 topic areas
Promoting opportunities for older people to remain
physically, mentally and socially active
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Actions and initiatives at the local level
A number of micro-projects have been started to enable and
encourage increasing physical and mental activity among
population in later years as a very effective way of preventing
and lowering the high costs associated with health and social
services
“Walking groups”
“CamminaMenti” - Move your minds… minds on the move
“Urban Gardens”
…The “Walking Groups”…
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There are six walking groups in Udine in
different city districts.
Three times a week, groups of about 1520 older people meet at a bus stop and
go for a walk of 10-15 km in a green
park
They combine walking with with another
indoor physical activity programme of
gentle fitness
It is an occasion to meet one each other,
to socialize, to take exercise and remain
physically active.
“CamminaMenti” - Move your minds… minds on
the move
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Provides older people an opportunity to
participate in a cycle of seminars and
lectures hosted by the city districts
There are several topics of interest:
memory, popular traditions, foreign
languages, intercultural lectures,
wellbeing, spice lab, cooking, unusual
tours in the city, music, etc.
Each topic is developed over 8 seminars
or lectures lasting 3 hours.
The Project has been organized with the
cooperation of a group of students
attending an advanced degree in Nursery
at the University of Udine.
Intergenerational approach
“Urban Gardens”
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There are currently 4 Urban Gardens in
Udine: each one is made of about 20
plots managed by schools free of charge
and, at a fee of 4 euros a month, by
families, individuals and associations.
Each plot is of a fixed size, with water
and a compost bin provided.
There are no raised boundaries to
encourage socialization and building
relationships between plot users.
The plots are overseen by an
experienced worker who helps people
care for their plot and gives them
information on growing and cooking their
produce.
Families, individuals, schools and
associations raise a mix of plants,
vegetables and botanical herbs.
The produce of the plots helps them save
money.
Udine is sharing their experience with other partners’
cities via the Urbact network.
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Kick-off seminar in Paris (29-31 January)
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Study visit hosted by Udine (5-7 March)
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3 Project Thematic Trans-National meetings:
- 1st in June in Klaipeda;
- 2nd in October in Edinburgh joined to Brighton & Hove;
- 3rd in January 2015 in Grand Poitiers
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Visits of experts
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Final conference (March 2015)
Conclusions
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Opportunity for reciprocal exchange of experiences
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Opportunity for finding out new ideas to enhance healthy
ageing
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Opportunity for using new tools and adopting new
methodologies of work
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An occasion for both sensitizing politicians and public
sector managers and promoting active participation among
older people
www.urbact.eu/project