Urban environments to support healthy cognitive aging

Project Summary

Cognitive functioning impacts older adults’ wellbeing, quality of life, and ability to live independently. Urban environmental factors are known to influence cognitive health or decline, however, tools to assess overall neighborhood supportiveness for cognition among older adults are lacking. This project will develop an index of environmental factors that influence healthy cognitive aging, for ages 65+. Based on existing evidence, frameworks for healthy aging, expert consultation, and using location-based environmental exposure data, an index will be developed and mapped across Canadian cities. Links between index scores at residential location and trajectories of cognitive functioning over time will be examined. This research will advance knowledge on the relationship between multi-dimensional urban exposures and cognitive functioning in later life. The index will provide a scalable measure of environmental supportiveness for healthy cognitive aging across Canadian cities.