Superdiversity und ageing city? The convergence of increasing multiethnicity and an ageing population
Final Report Abstract
At present, the interrelation between increasing social diversity and demographic change has become ever more pressing: How do social diversity and demographic change interrelate? Is there empirical evidence for the presumed hypothesis of diversification, assimilation or familiarization? Can we differentiate unique types of superdiverse-ageing households? What are the spatial patterns of superdiverse-ageing households in the city, especially in terms of where they live and what would motivate them to move? And what are possible future development paths and trends of increasing superdiverse-ageing cities and what does this imply for housing policies and urban infrastructure supply? As a case study, we chose Berlin and applied a mixed-methods approach. On the one hand, we deployed a qualitative approach with literature research, expert interviews and focus group discussions. On the other hand, we used a quantitative approach with a cluster analysis and statistical methods for the development of an agent-based model. We included the results of the qualitative methods and the output of the expert workshop into the model. Furthermore, we conducted a survey in Berlin for a more thorough base for the model and possible behaviour of older people. This project contributed innovative approaches in two main fields: It offered new insights into the interrelations between ageing and superdiversity that have not been empirically explored before. Furthermore, our mixed methods approach that combined and closely interlinked a range of qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as data acquisition and analysis led to a holistic picture. Our research supports the project’s initial hypothesis of a diversification of ageing. However, we also demonstrated that institutions tend to reduce the complexity of diversity through overseeing or ignoring multi-dimensional diversity and focus, if at all, on one marker of difference which leads to an increasing assimilation of ageing processes in some regards. The hypothesis of familiarization did not fit our findings as families increasingly live in transnational and spatially distant family constellations. Another outcome of our research was that we were able to construct specific types of elderly regarding moving behaviour in later life. Our analysis indicates that in case older people move, they prefer to move closer to elders with the same background, which means in this case, the same type. Our research suggests that in the long term, this will lead to an increasing segregation, in case there are already clusters of elders of the same type and empty flats are available close by. If this is not the case, elderly have to pick locations that are available, which would lead to increasing heterogeneity. It is also possible that these two contrary trends happen at the same time in different parts of the city. The findings of this project hence provide new research insights into the under-researched interrelations between ageing and superdiversity and identified key challenges for future research on an increasingly diverse ageing cities.
Publications
- 2017: Super-diversity and urban development - challenges and possibilities of simulating future scenarios for the case of Berlin, Germany. Conference proceedings: Geocomputation 2017, Leeds. 6 p.
Haacke, H. & Lakes, T.
- 2018: Cluster analysis for the derivation of agents for ABMs in the context of an ageing, super-diverse population: a mixed method approach. Conference proceedings: AGILE 2018, Lund. 8 p.
Haacke, H., Enßle, F., Helbrecht, I., Lakes, T. & Walker, B. B.
- 2018: Produktive Konflikte: zum Verhältnis von Arbeits- und Stadtgesellschaft. In: Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat: 6. Hochschultag der Nationalen Stadtentwicklungspolitik. Ergebnisbericht. Stadt und Region als Arbeitsort. Berlin. Pp 10-19
Helbrecht, I.
- 2018: Ungleichheit, Intersektionalität und Alter(n) - für eine räumliche Methodologie in der Ungleichheitsforschung. Geographica Helvetica, 73. Pp 227-239
Enßle, F., & Helbrecht, I.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-73-227-2018) - 2019: Urbanität - Ruralität. Der Versuch einer prinzipiellen Klärung und Erläuterung der Begriffe. In: derivé - Zeitschrift für Stadtforschung, No. 76. Pp 6-13
Helbrecht, I.
- 2019: Why do(n’t) people move when they get older? Estimating the willingness to relocate in diverse ageing cities. In: Urban planning 4 (2). Pp 53-69
Haacke H. C., Enßle F., Haase D., Helbrecht I. & Lakes T.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v4i2.1901) - 2020: Does spatial proximity supplant family ties? Exploring the role of neighborly support for older people in diverse, ageing cities. Urban Geography
Enßle, F., Dirksmeier, P. & Helbrecht, I.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2020.1857991) - 2020: Understanding diversity in later life through images of old age. Ageing & Society
Enßle, F. & Helbrecht, I.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X20000379) - 2020: Urban green spaces for the social interaction, health and well-being of older people— An integrated view of urban ecosystem services and socio-environmental justice. Environmental Science & Policy 109. Pp 36-44
Enßle, F. & Kabisch, N.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.04.008) - 2021: Place-based urban social geography – learning from David Ley. In. Canadian Geographer
Helbrecht, I.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12663)
