Neighbourhood Urban Environments and Cognitive Health in Ageing Populations

Population ageing and urbanisation are two global demographic trends with significant public health implications, including increased rates of cognitive decline and neurogenerative disorders, as well as diminished quality of life. It is known that the neighbourhood urban environment impacts on lifestyle behaviours and physical health in older adults; however, little is known about how key features of the urban environment support cognitive health in late life. The main objective of this chapter is to critically review the current evidence on how physical features of the neighbourhood urban environment impact cognitive health in ageing populations. In particular, we apply a working ecological model of cognitive health that postulates that urban design and its by-products affect cognitive health via behavioural and biological pathways. In accordance with the model, the evidence provided in this chapter demonstrates that neighbourhood physical environments have the potential to promote cognitively healthy ageing and, thus, the creation of urban physical environments that preserve cognitive health is considered a feasible large-scale and sustainable solution. We further highlight the importance to recognise the complexity and diversity of urban design features and their multidimensional interactions with cognitive health in older adults. High-quality empirical studies that adopt ecological models of cognitive health are needed to inform the creation of age-friendly urban environments.