NICA Horizoning™ Report 2024: Adaptations to the Urban Environment in China

NICA: Horizoning™ Report 2024

Adaptations to the Urban Environment in China

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NICA does not endorse the use of language which may be construed as ageist or derogatory. However, in instances where product/service names use language such as ‘elderly mode’ we have kept the names as stated by the company to remain factually accurate.

This report was prepared by: UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing at The Catalyst, Newcastle upon Tyne Date: June 2024

Version 2.0

Authors: Xueying Xiong Juncheng Wen Owen Wright

Reviewers: Lynne Corner Sarah Nolan Emily Mavin

Introducing Macro and Micro Trends

Trend research is about detecting signs of change happening right now and directions these indicate to possible futures.

This document focuses on consumer trends which explore how consumers behave, what they want and how they observe the world. To understand consumer trends, we must first understand that there are various types of trends; political, demographic, economic, technology, industry, new product categories etc. A consumer trend is a brand new manifestation among people in behaviour, attitude, or expectation-of a fundamental human need, want or desire.

In the analysis of consumer trends, the other types of trends are leveraged as evidence and data points. For example, robot vacuums are an example of a new product category trend, not a consumer trend, because they are not new behaviours, attitudes, or expectations. However, the use of robot vacuums by consumers is likely to heighten expectations of ultraconvenience, hygiene, and automation within the home. An ageing population is not a consumer trend. But look at the products and services a healthier, more

active, demanding, design-conscious set of older adults are embracing, and you may uncover something new.

At NICA we structure our consumer trends into three main layers:

At the base, we have micro-trends. These granular level trends take hundreds of forms that address specific needs, wants and desires. They can be activity, product, or service-related and are more tangible developments.

Next, we have the macro layer. These are made up of clusters of microtrends, forming a long-term directional shift that affects a large population, often on a global scale.

Finally, we have mega-trends. Whether internally or externally focused, these are big, slow-moving currents that remain broadly stable year on year (generally lasting decades) and can be applied across industries, demographics, and geographical regions.

© Jason Goodman

Foreword to HorizoningTM

To cope with the complex social, economic and healthcare challenges presented by ageing societies worldwide and to harness global intelligence, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is collaborating with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) to develop the UK-China Healthy Ageing Innovation Stream (HAIS).

As part of this project, which forms part of the Fund for International Collaboration’s Healthy Ageing Flagship Challenge, the UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing delivered a series of activities to drive innovation that supports older adults in both the UK and China, helping them to live fulfilling, healthy and comfortable lives for longer. These activities are funded through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Fund for International Collaboration (FIC), delivered by Innovate UK, part of UKRI.

This Horizoning™ report is the third installment in a series exploring the rise of healthy longevity in China. Building

upon our previous reports centered on mobility and gait, and wearables, this edition explores emerging trends in the urban environment and the associated opportunities. As cities in China rapidly urbanise and accommodate an ageing population, we investigate how products and services can empower citizens to live confidently and enjoyably in urban settings.

The purpose of Horizoning™ is to look beyond currently entrenched ideas concerning ageing and longevity. It suggests a range of possible options and new narratives for real, meaningful, and visible commercial and societal impact - locally, nationally and globally. The report is intended as a thoughtprovocation piece to inform the development of innovative solutions to support urban adaptations and is intended to inspire and catalyse new approaches to healthy longevity and contribute to economic growth.

© Ray Chan

Global Population Ageing WHY ACT NOW?

77.1 YEARS life expectancy at birth in 2050

Ageing demographics worldwide pose both issues and opportunities for organisations across the globe, creating a whole new market

16% will be over the age of 65 in 2050up from 1 in 11 in 2019

9.7 BILLION people worldwide by 2050

$15 TRILLION the annual spending power of people aged 60 and over

© Martin Adams

© Viktor Forgacs

© John Moeses Bauan

© Ravi Patel

Ageing China At A Glance

China has one of the world’s largest populations at 1.4 billion and one of the fastest ageing populations in human history. Its over-65-yearold population has reached 216.76 million (15.4%) by the end of 20221 and is expected to reach 380 million by 2050. As a result, 1 in 3 people will be over the age of 652. Its advanced aged group with people 80 years old and above is projected to reach 53 million in 2030 and 130 million in 20503

Life expectancy is set to reach 81.5 years by 20504, accompanied by a falling mortality rate. At the same time, China is experiencing a continuously falling birth rate, registering only 10 million newborns in 2020, 15% lower than in 2019. The fertility rate (which measures the number of births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15-44 in a calendar year) in China has decreased annually to 1.05% in 2019, the lowest since 2000.

$3 TRILLION

the expected size of the aged care industry in China by 2030

10 MILLION registered newborns in 2020 - 15% lower than 2019

a life expectancy of 81.5 YEARS

130 MILLION people aged 80 and above

380 MILLION people over the age of 65

This enormous demographic shift is leading to a rise in “empty-nesters” – older adults whose children have moved out, spotlighting an increased need for supportive measures for solitary mobility and travel among the older population5. It also presents a wealth of long-term investment opportunities across various innovation areas, including mobility, automation and robotics, the service industry, MedTech, housing, financial services, and many other sectors that help to support ageing and longevity.

Innovative products and services contributing to active ageing and longevity would have a strong competetiveness to stand out in China’s ageing market.

...The Chinese market is multitiered with diverse consumer demand. This big, open market (in healthy longevity) represents great opportunities for products, services and investments from foreign companies.

- Late Former Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang

©Rui Xu

Trend 1: Lifespan Urban Design

Making Urban Spaces Inclusive and Friendly to All

Walkable Neighbourboods

Accessible Amenities

Interactive Public Spaces

©Kaiyv Zhang

Lifespan Urban Design

In the coming decades, the built environment sector will respond to an ageing demographic by emphasising lifespan urban design, helping all generations to retain safety, convenience, and socially connection in an urban context.

Countries across the globe are proactively gearing up to address the demographic shift towards an older aged population, transforming urban structures to meet the needs of these individuals, enabling them to live healthier and longer lives within urban settings.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines an age-friendly environment as one that promotes health and enables individuals to maintain their intrinsic capacity throughout life by eliminating barriers and implementing supportive policies, systems, products, and services6

Such lifespan environment accommodates the physical, cognitive, and sensory changes associated with ageing, prioritising urban features that support healthy and active lifestyle, such as walkable streets, accessible facilities, and ample open spaces. These urban spaces also provide opportunities for communication and social engagement among residents of diverse backgrounds, fostering a sense of community integration, benefiting

individuals of all ages, and contributing to overall well-being and healthy longevity.

In light of the transition to a longevity society, urban design should move beyound ageing-friendly, consistently emphasising and amplifying the role of ‘prevention’ while supporting citizens in embracing and maximising their longevity. How can the urban environment be an active partner - promoting and nudging us toward healthier behaviours? The objective is to build healthy cities, paving the way for the realisation of ‘Cities of LongevityTM’.

Governments, including China, are implementing policies towards building cities that support healthy longevity. Key participants in urban built environment, such as architects, developers, community operators are all making efforts in shaping urban design towards this target, providing new concepts, designs, and innovation solutions to meet the expectations and desires of the public.

So What’s Driving This Trend?

1. Rapid Urbanisation

The convergence of two major demographic trends, population ageing and urbanisation, is profoundly shaping our world. Currently, over half of the global population is living in urban areas and this is expected to rise to two thirds (close to 7 billion) by 20507

China, in particular, has experienced a significant surge in urbanisation since the initiation of the reform and opening policy in 1978. The urbanisation rate has escalated from 12.84%8 in 1953 to 64.7% in 2022, projected to reach 7580%9 by 2035.

63.9%

urbanisation rate with 143 million residents aged 60 and above live in cities in 2020.

In 2020, when China’s urbanisation rate stood at 63.9%, the number of urban people aged 60 and above surpassing 143 million, overtaking the figure in rural areas (121 million) for the first time10

However, contemporary urban spaces and amenities often tend to prioritise attracting the younger population for labour and economic development, meeting their needs and wants, inadvertently neglecting the needs of other generations. With the continuous progression of urbanisation, it becomes imperative for urban design to adapt to the demographic changes. Development strategies thus lean towards making cities liveable, environmentally friendly, healthy, and socially inclusive throughout life course11, catering to the diverse needs of all inhabitants.

© Javier Quiroga

2. Coping With Loneliness And Isolation

Feelings of loneliness and isolation pose significant challenges for both older and younger generations12, with 1 in 4 older people and 5-15% of adolescents13 experiencing social isolation and loneliness. These feelings greatly impact physical and mental health, overall quality of life, and longevity. Research has revealed their association with depression, cognitive function, cardiovascular diseases, and even mortality14. The Covid-19 pandemic, with measures like lockdowns and social distancing, has further exacerbated this issue.

Urbanisation has led to smaller households, resulting in an increased number of older adults living alone (21.38% in 2020) or with spouses only (23.45% in 2020)15. According to China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) 2014 data, about 24.78% of older adults in China experience loneliness, with 1.4% feeling intensely lonely, and about 5.12% of those living alone feeling lonely16.

Moreover, the significant internal labour migration over the past decades in China has motivated parents to relocate to cities where their offspring live and work, shouldering the responsibilities of childcare while struggling with building new social network in unfamiliar places.

To address the resulting challenge of loneliness and isolation in this

demographic, China is witnessing a growing push in ageing-related industries to support increased engagement with their communities and wider society.

Additionally, there is a growing recognition of the importance of urban design in fostering multigenerational communication and interaction. By creating spaces that encourage stronger bonds between different age groups, urban planning can promote a sense of connection and belonging for individuals of all ages.

3. Policy Orientation

In 2016, the State Council in China introduced ‘Healthy China 2030’17 Plan, which advocates for a ‘Health in All Policies (HiAP)’ approach to prevent and treat diseases, while promoting overall health and healthy lifestyle. The plan places an emphasis on the important role of cities and aims to integrate health considerations into urban design, prioritising preventive measures.

In 2020, the National Health Commission and the National Office on Ageing of China issued the “Notice on the Establishment of a Demonstrative National Ageing-Friendly Community18”, This initiative aims to develop a working model and long-term mechanism for developing age-friendly communities, effectively enhancing the sense of gain, happiness, and security among older people effectively. By 2025, the goal

is to build 5,000 demonstrative agefriendly communities in both urban and rural areas. Furthermore, by 2035, the objective is to achieve full coverage of age-friendly communities throughout the country.

4. China’s Increasing Population with Health Conditions

The number of citizens facing challenges related to accessibility and mobility in China is also on the rise. According to statistics from Peking University, there were an estimated 108 million people with accessibility needs in China in 202019, and this number is projected to reach 136 million by 2030. This increase in accessibility challenges is partially due to an ageing demographic, with Peking University estimating that by 2030, there will be a total of 77 million older adults with health impairments in China, up from 52.71 million in 2020.

This rapid growth will have significant implications for the labour market as well as individual welfare and health. Consequently, there will be a substantial increase in the demand for access-friendly amenities and public services to cater to the needs of this growing population.

Billow926

Walkable Neighbourhoods

Providing spaces to encourage physical improvement and inter-generational communication

Travel within cities is now heavily dominated by motor vehicles, impacting on air quality and the living environments of city residents.

Researchers found that a “significantnumber ofpeoplearehappieriftheyliveinattractive, walkableplacesthatenablesocialconnections and trust in others20”. There is a growing awareness of the need to design and develop cities into spaces that are more walkable and less dependent on cars. This would encourage interactions in communities, promoting healthier lifestyles, while reducing pollution and creating a safer living environment for everyone.

Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN)21 plan was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK which uses barriers such as bollards, boom barriers, planters, and road signs to limit vehicle access while enhancing pedestrian and cyclist routes, reducing air and noise pollution. Similarly, Barcelona22 has 6 car-free superblocks introduced in 2016, with plans to expand to 500 in total.

China’s central government is also advocating for more liveable and environmentallyfriendly cities. Polices and planning strategies 23have been issued in local levels to invest in developing pedestrian and bike friendly infrastructure. Urban city development is also tending to create multiple city clusters with each cluster well integrated with pedestrianfriendly communities, high-density mixed-use centre areas, surrounded by public transport

within walking distance, with green open spaces, namely ‘TOD – Transit Oriented Development’ or ‘compact city’.

Walking remains the primary mode of mobility in China, with 55% of citizens walking daily24 as opposed to taking another form of transport, and it is favoured by older adults aged 6025 and above, according to a 2013 study. However, rapid urbanisation has made many Chinese cities less walkable, with 82% of residents expressing dissatisfaction with the walkability of their city26

There is progress: A joint report27 released in 2021 by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Urban Big Data Professional Committee of the Chinese Society for Urban Studies evaluated the walkability of 45 cities in China.The report indicated that all cities have made improvements in road facilities to enhance pedestrian friendliness, with most significant enhancement in physical separation of motor vehicle and non-motor vehicle lanes, pedestrian trail repairs, and street crossing facilities. Most cities with higher scores have adopted planning for the construction of the slow traffic system.

Anticipated innovations include the development of materials enhancing safety on walking paths and designs integrating surrounding natural elements into the human experience, all aimed at supporting the creation of pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods.

©Bing Lu - Hyperlane, Chengdu, China

CASE STUDY

City Walking Trails

According to data from the National Physical Fitness Monitoring Centre, among the main sports for people aged 19-59 in China, brisk walking is one of the sports with the highest participation rate, accounting for 22.7%; this proportion is as high as 41.6% among the older group28

To improve health of the general public and promote ‘National Fitness Programme’, in 2018, 12 ministries and commissions including the State Sports General Administration jointly issued the “Implementation Plan for the Million-Kilometre Fitness Trail Project29”, and the construction of fitness trails in China has entered the stage of full implementation.

City walking trails in China provide urban spaces not only for local residents for regular exercise needs and social connection, but also become landmarks with their modern design and unique cultural features integrated,

boosting a healthy lifestyle with attractive sceneries.

Chengdu has several city walk trails with eye-catching design and convenient accessibility to public, such as ‘ the Ring of Wisdom30’ which is a rooftop fitness trail; the ‘ West Village Compound31’ which is a sports and art area surrounded by residential clusters, providing leisure activities to all generations; and the ‘Hyperlane32’ which is a 2.4 kilometre long multilevel linear sky park, youth culture and lifestyle destination, adjacent to Sichuan Music College.

In cities which possess natural treasures, developers will harness the natural environment to design city walk, such as ‘ Yantian Seaside Boardwalk33’ in Shenzhen which is built along the seashoore and ‘Fudao (Lucky Walk)34’ in Fuzhou, China which shuttles in the forest.

© Zhou Yue Dong - Fudao, Fuzhou, China

© LOOK Architects

© Cunzai Architect, West Village Compound, Chengdu, China

CASE STUDY

Car-free Design Shape Future Cities

New residential communities in China in the past decades often adopt a transport system to separate pedestrian and vehicles to create a more walkable environment and ensure safety.

The car-free concept has been introduced since early 2010s. Tencent35, a Chinese multinational technology and entertainment conglomerate and holding company headquartered in Shenzhen, is planning to develop a 132 hectares docklands in its home city, creating a Net City36 almost free of cars as its new campus accessible by the public.

The project will include office areas, commercial, retail, and residential properties equipped with schools, parks, and leisure facilities, adopting technologies like solar panels, rainwater collection and recycle, flood defence barriers, internet-connected sensors for environment monitoring, and without cars. Connecting with other parts of the Shenzhen city, the project will have road bridges, ferries, and the city’s subway system. Within the Net City, it will have

a green corridor in city centres for buses, bikes, and autonomous vehicles that are necessary for the operation of the city.

Another car-free 4.6 square-kilometre city37 is proposed to be developed in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, as a response to carbon-neutral environment. Buildings in each zone will be accessible by 10 minutes’ walk with automated vehicles connecting them to the surrounding city.

These forthcoming urban development initiatives present opportunities for innovative businesses specialising in environmentally friendly, carbonneutral, and high-tech sectors. These include but are not limited to new energies, electric and autonomous vehicles, novel materials, smart devices, as well as traditional built environment industries, inviting forward-thinking businesses to invest and engage in the market.

© OMA - Chengdu Future City, Chengdu, China

© NBBJ - Tecent Net City, Shenzhen, China

© OMA - Chengdu Future City, Chengdu, China

Accessible Amenities

Amenities designed with inclusivity and healthy longevity in mind, ensuring that cities are accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

This trend is all about meeting the needs in everyday life of people to maintain an independent life regardless of any issues around mobility or disabilities.

In 2015, China had over 40 million individuals aged 60 and above with disabilities, constituting 18.5% of the total population in that age group. It is estimated that over 20% of the older population in China which accounts for over 60 million38 will need rehabilitation needs. After the COVID-pandemic, recovered patients, especially people with long covid, may face challenges with mobility and physical strength, leading to long-term and significant limitation in their ability to actively engage in society autonomously39.

In the realm of urban design, construction, and the renovation of existing infrastructure, it is crucial to conscientiously consider the needs of the current and a growing proportion of individuals with disabilities requiring assistance and rehabilitation.

© Angela Roma

Turning Old Landmarks into Urban Icons

Shanghai Smart Booth40 are a form of urban renovation that turns redundant phone booths in Shanghai into modern functional urban artifacts. It is a collaboration between 100Architects and China Telecom, the state-owned Chinese telecommunications company. These upgraded phone kiosks are solar-powered with Wi-Fi hotspots, 5G transceivers, wireless charging for mobile devices, USB connectivity, and a touch screen with city maps.

It also offers a free three-minute phone call as well as one-click taxihailing services, an SOS button and face recognition AI feature, aimed at predominantly older adults who are statistically less familiar with smart phones as well as people who are in an emergency situation.

This renovation project sheds a light on UK businesses to re-use existing facilities in urban areas, such as re-developing kiosks to reflect contemporary urban lifestyles and needs.

“Equipped with a variety of new features, these technologically upgraded versions of old iconic Shanghai phone booths cater to the needs of the progressive tech-savvy population of Shanghai as much as to the safety needs of the olders who may still remember using phone booths for their primary function.”

© 100Architects

CASE STUDY

AI Powered Community Catering Solutions

Whilst there are increasing numbers of people in China now living to be the ‘oldest old’ (80+), the country has a serious shortage of professional carers available to support those who are in poor health or struggle with day-to-day tasks. To help address this shortfall, community services are emerging to offer support, such as cleaning and cooking.

For example, many community canteens have sprung up, providing a variety of dishes to supply sufficient nutrition within affordable prices. Some of them take advantage of the ever-changing technologies such as smart service system that enables the residents to use facialrecognition payments to provide further convenience to its community members. One community canteen in Anhui41 has a volunteer team to deliver meals to its members with mobility constraints.

China’s first AI community canteen42 was introduced in 2021 in Hongqiao, Shanghai. It is powered by intelligent cooking system and robotic arms with ingredients delivered from a central kitchen, offering different cuisines of China and over 30 kinds of breakfast.

The canteen is located in an advanced ageing community with 38.4% of older residents, among which 5.8% live alone43. It provide service to local older residents at a discounted rate as well as office workers in the area. A smart cashier will identify dishes and calculate the cost accordingly. It accepts various payment methods including facial recognition, cards, QR codes, or digital RMB. The whole process is quick, taking only 1-2 minutes for a bowl of noodles or 5-8 minutes for fried or steamed dishes.

The developer, Xixiang, is currently researching in automated kitchen for households and aims to have a prototype in three years44. In fact, e-commerce giants in China like Alibaba45 and JD.com46 are also exploring unmanned technology. Although still in experimental stage due to obstacles like the massive initial costs and the following maintenance needs, this technology has been successfully used during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic where robots cooked and served the athletes and spectators worldwide.

© Dong Jun

Accessible Chronic Disease Management and Rehabilitation

Managing chronic diseases presents a significant challenge, especially as multimorbidity becomes increasingly common with age. As life expectancy rises in China, the prevalence of chronic illnesses becomes a major concern. Data revealed that in 202147, over 190 million older adults in China have chronic disease and about three quarters of the older population have one or more than one chronic disease.

Pharmacies are adapting to this changing landscape by evolving from mere drug sales platforms into comprehensive health management service providers48. Their store layouts and product offerings are shifting towards specialisation and diversification, with many changes tailored to meet this growing need.

Yixintang, one of China’s largest medicine retailers and wholesalers, has positioned professional chronic disease management services as its core competitive advantage and has included it as an important approach of future pharmaceutical retail business development49. The company has already established 1,093 stores equipped with chronic disease management services. Their approach involves collaborating with renowned public hospitals and specialists to develop personalised portfolios, along with providing free services like blood pressure and blood glucose measurement.

Some pharmacies are taking an additional step in long-term chronic disease management by creating in-store social interaction spaces to enhance the overall experience for customers and foster a sense of community. In addition, pharmaceutical companies are swiftly adopting digital and intelligent transformations, providing

O2O (online-to-offline) services, offline smart pharmacies, online digital platforms, and 30-minute delivery services. These advancements enable community-based pharmacies to offer residents more convenient and timely care for managing chronic diseases and maintaining better health through comprehensive support.

Rehabilitation solutions, whether provided at home or in the community, play a crucial role in supporting health recovery after illness and maintaining independence. The added value of having hands-on assistance makes these services even more convenient.

An increased number of community health centres now in China are providing rehabilitation services. Taking Shanghai as an example, by April 2023, the city boasts 91 demonstrative community rehabilitation centres that cater to various needs50, including children, post-stroke, cardiology, respiratory, basin, and fracture areas. These centres are equipped with advanced technologies such as upper and lower limb rehabilitation robots, electric lift and exoskeleton, and gait and balance function evaluation system.

Gamified rehabilitation devices and applications are emerging as innovative tools engage patients in the rehabilitation process. Research51 shows that games have a profound positive impact in rehabilitation and also improve memory in stroke patients. Gamified rehabilitation offers patients increased autonomy and helps enhance their adherence to the rehabilitation programme52. There lies great opportunities for personalised and gamified rehabilitation products.

© Zhang Qi

© Good Boost

Interactive Public Spaces

Places for multi-generational communication and retained social connectedness

Adding to the walkable living community, well-designed public spaces encourage residents to walk out of their home and communicate with neighbours, fostering a sense of community and reducing social isolation. These spaces encourage intergenerational connections and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences between different age groups. They also promote active and healthy lifestyles. Engaging in these activities also supports cognitive stimulation and mental health.

There is a growing tendency in the design of public spaces to add more interactive features boosting intra-generation and inter-generation communications. With unique designs, these public spaces also become urban landmarks that attract tourists, contributing to the knowledge exchange with residents in the community.

Apart from developing new public spaces, refurbishing and repurposing existing community public facilities also brings benefits to local communities. By incorporating art events into these community spaces, organisers promote intergenerational communications among residents of varying age groups. By hosting events that deliberately engage older memebrs of the community alongside younger generations, these initiatives raise public awareness of the valuable knowledge and experience that older generations contribute to the society.

Defining Urban Public Spaces In A Creative Way

100 Street Architecture & Urban Interventions53 (100Architects) is a Shanghai-based architecture studio, specialising in public realm and public spaces, creating colourful and playful urban interventions for leisure, recreation, and entertainment, and encouraging social dynamics. Its landscapes and topographies are colourful and intricate which invite users to interact with the objects and the space itself. The main objective of the design is to attract and entertain users from a wide range of groups54

Its projects interact with urban spaces on three levels – metropolitan, neighbourhood, street, and interior. Open spaces are fundamental elements in Chinese newly built residential developments. One of 100Architects’ successful cases, the MA WAY, is such public space in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. It is a medium-scale neighbourhood intervention project which impacts both the surrounding urban environment as well as the urban dynamics of a whole neighbourhood. It consists of several pocket plazas that offer seating opportunities and shaded areas for adults, sports areas for youngsters and teenagers, floor games for kids, making the space into a multi-functional and multigenerational square.

© 100Architects

© 100Architects

© 100Architects

Innovative Prototype Supports Community in Various Scenarios

ChillOUT hub55 is part of a pilot study for the Australian Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. It is a smart, open-air community space which has integrated seating and tables, lighting, device charging, prototype solar power, sensors, public WiFi, planters, smart fountains, and smart bins. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution but can be tailored to serve each community differently.

Repurpose Community Public Facitlities and Promote Inter-Generational Communication

Apart from establishing a physically inclusive environment beneficial to social connectivity across generations, there is a deliberate focus on enhancing the mental well-being of community members through diverse activities. This ensures seamless integration of residents from all age groups into the local community and society as a whole, promoting intergenerational communication.

‘27 Yuaner’56, also known as Chaoyangmen Community Museum, in Beijing is an art, culture, and multifunction public event space built from a repurposed hutong courtyard to hold hutong-centric events and activities. It is a successful sample of upgrading and catalysing existing public spaces to serve and meet the changing needs of local residents. It provides a platform for communication, sharing, learning and socialising via community-based art activities. Since its establishment in 2016, 27 Yuan has incubated over 300 art projects and hosted 2,300 events, having over 90,000 vistis. It attracts not only older residents in the community

but also younger generations to return to community, boosting multigenerational communication which benefits the wellbeing and health of all age groups.

Apart from providing spaces for local retired residents to have communication with their peers, 27 Yuan has also hosted themed events to stimulate intergenerational sharing. The event ‘when I were you’ matched 15 local older residents with 15 young adults recruited from the wider public, enabling them to experience lives of each other via fun interactive activities. The objective was to inspire a wider range of people to recognise and think about a series of social issues such as the right to speak and living conditions of the older people, and the future of younger generation in an ageing world. Other events like setting a retail store selling things in old times, reflecting a theme that ‘old things are good’, raising discussions on exploring social values of older generations.

CASE STUDY

Support for Mental Wellbeing in Community

In a community integrated ageing care centre in Shanghai57, residents living in the neighbourhood are encouraged to play games in groups to boost their mental and physical health. This novel play-based concept in China to have play-based activities benefits those older adults who are socially isolated due to either their living arrangement or health limitations. Ageing care experts in China have run trials in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai to encourage elder care facilities to experiment with ‘play dates’. The outcome is significant, with attendance rate reaching 98% for each 2-hour play session.

A remarkable increase in residents’ cognitive abilities and emotional well-being was also noticed after a few months of sessions. Games like sand painting and colouring are most popular, but staff intentionally promote physical games like hoop toss to stimulate more exercise. These activities highlighted that there is a gap in the market for toys designed for older adults which leaves a huge market for manufacturers to explore in China.

© Fan Yiying

© Fan Yiying

- Wang Fuqing, elder care expert

Inclusive Urban Design Key Considerations

Walkable Neighbourhoods

Thinking beyond current urban design and looking into future trend, how might your products and services fit into a walkable environment and encourage more interactions between users and the physical enviornment?

Ensure any product adaptations you make with older adults in mind go beyond surface level changes.

Be mindful that walking habits may vary among different ageing groups. Inclusive walking design should consider include different supporting facilities.

How can you seamlessly integrate your products and designs into the surrounding urban environment while also attracting people to come?

Accessible Amenities

When incorporating advanced technology into products and services, thinking about the large number of people who may need help to adapt to it, what alternative solutions you can keep in your design? Will you breathe new life into traditional designs while maintaining the usage habits of the older generation?

What are the key challenges that your target customers are facing? Will you leverage the power of innovative technology to flip traditional thinking on who your potential users might be?

Consider extending your services to further refine categorisation and identify gaps in the industry chain, both upstream and downstream.

Interactive Public Spaces

Thinking about how to increase the funcionality of your design and services to cater different scenarios and the needs of various user groups?

How can your design concepts or services boost intergenerational communication? Will you be able to integrate resources that provide rich activities and learning opportunities for older adults to step out their comfort zone?

Step out of your product’s current scope of application and dare to imagine in directions you haven’t considered before. For example, toys are not only for children; there is great potential in designing toys for the older adults in areas such as cognitive training.

Trend 2: Greener Urban Solutions

Designing sustainbale urban environment

Sponge City

Green Building and Meterials

Urban Air Purification

Greener Urban Solutions

The future of urban spaces will be developed with a greater focus on sustainability across all sections of built environment

The urgent need to mitigate climate change has become a major driver for greener and more sustainable urban solutions. As significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, cities are now focusing on reducing their carbon footprints through energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy integration, sustainable construction materials, and waste reduction strategies.

The global energy crisis from 2021to 202358 reminded people of the scarcity of resources, underscored the scarcity of resources heavily consumed by urban areas, including water, energy, and materials. In response, cities are adopting sustainable practices such as water conservation, recycling, efficient energy use, the exploration of renewable energy sources, and sustainable material sourcing to minimise resource use and waste generation.

Research59 has revealed that pollutants like particulate matter can aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma and increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other

cardiovascular diseases. This growing awareness of health and well-being has placed increased pressure on urban developers to address residents’ needs. By incorporating the exposome concept—which considers all environmental exposures a person experiences throughout their life—urban planners can adopt a holistic approach to creating environments that reduce harmful exposures and promote healthier lifestyles.

The desire for fresh air and clean water has driven the adoption of greener solutions in urban development and spurred the exploration of innovative technologies to tackle environmental health crises and energy challenges. Cleaner and greener cities support lifelong health through various means. By integrating green and blue spaces—areas near bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and coastal regions—into urban planning, and adopting sustainable practices and materials, cities are taking significant measures to enhance the quality of life for their residents.

© Zac Wolff

So What’s Driving This Trend?

1. Environmental Health Crisis

Rapid industrialisation60 and population growth have resulted in China becoming one of the most polluted countries globally. The country currently generates around 30% of all global emissions, double that of the US - the second-largest contributor - with an estimated 13%. As a result, air, noise, water, and soil pollution are widespread, impacting citizens’ health and longevity.

Poor air quality61 causes respiratory problems such as asthma and lung cancer. Rising global temperatures and extreme weather events associated with climate change62 often worsen people’s existing health conditions and sometimes result in physical injuries and mental strain. Food insecurity due to soil erosion63, water scarcity64, and improper pesticides use65 in agriculture production poses challenges to citizens’ daily life. These issues collectively have enduring impacts on the healthy longevity of every individual.

As pollution levels continue to affect the health of Chinese citizens, there is a growing demand for more proactive measures.

30% Global emissions

© Jonathan Ford

2. Energy Crisis

The recent global energy crisis71 caused by the increasing of energy prices began in 2021 due to the rapid economic recovery following the pandemic. China, on the other hand, has also been obsessed with the energy crisis due to climate change72, for instance, heatwaves and drought. Statistics shows that about 44.8%73 of domestic gas consumption in China was reliant upon import, which has intensified the energy security issue for the nation.

3. Sustainability Drive

As the world faces the looming threat of irreversible climate change, pressure is mounting on the world’s largest carbon emitters. China, currently the largest of them all, due to its 1.4 billion population and explosive economic growth, is facing pressure from other countries to curb its output.

In 2020, President Xi Jinping said China would aim for emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 206066. To achieve this, China is introducing a wash of initiatives including, “phasing down” coal use from 202667, switching to green energy

solutions68, increasing greenery69 and investing heavily in electric vehicles70

This introduction of policy and initiatives to help curb climate change is likely to continue into the coming decade as the country looks to control its emissions.

© The United Nations

© Worldwide Asset Management

Sponge City

A nature-based process to tackle urban water challenges

Increased instances of flooding, water scarcity, and water pollution in cities lead to exploration on how to manage and mitigate the impact of urbanisation on water resources.

With the rapid urbanisation in China and the rise of urban agglomerations, the construction of urban infrastructure has resulted in hardening of the underlying surface, which further caused a 70% to 80% rainfall surface runoff and less than 30% of rainwater can seep into the ground, creating a challenge to the urban water system. Due to climate change, more frequent and intense rainfall events are posing increased flooding risks in urban areas.

These water problems have particular impact on people with underlying health and mobility issues. Floods pose immediate physical risks such as injuries and exposure to contaminated water. Property damage, displacement and uncertainty about personal safety may cause mental and emotional stress. Apart from that, the ageing demographic is statistically more likely to have limited mobility and have accessibility challenges as well as other health risks, such as the increased risk of infection and worsening respiratory problems due to water pollution and shortage.

To mitigate the impacts on residents, measures that address water problem in urban areas

must be implemented effectively. Efforts have been made towards improving infrastructure implementing policies for flood control, water management and conservation strategies, water quality monitoring, emergency preparedness and response plans.

Initially proposed by researchers in China in early 2000 and formally used since 2013, the concept ‘Sponge City’ is a nature-based new urban construction model that mimic the function of sponges that absorb, store, purify and utilise water effectively when it rains and re-purposes rainwater for irrigation and home use.

“Sponge cities are part of a worldwide movement that goes by various names: green infrastructure in Europe, low-impact development in the United States, watersensitive urban design in Australia, natural infrastructure in Peru, nature-based solutions in Canada. In contrast to industrial management, in which people confine water with levees, channels, and asphalt and rush it off the land as quickly as possible, these newer approaches seek to restore water’s natural tendency to linger in places like wetlands and floodplains.”74

© TURENSCAPE

CASE STUDY Wuhan: Reconciliation with Water

Wuhan, known as ‘the city of a hundred lakes’, had 127 lakes in the 1980s in central urban areas. With the accelerated urbanisation progress, only around 30 currently survive with others filled and built over with neglect in the systematic plan and construction of underground water infrastructure. Located at the merging of the Yangtze and Han rivers, the flood problem has become ever more prominent. In the 2016 floods, Wuhan had experienced 5 rounds of torrential downpours which turned the city into a pond. Metro stations and roads flooded, 14 people died with some communities temporarily disconnected with the rest of the city.

To solve the water problem, Wuhan was declared in 2015 to be one of China’s 16 ‘Sponge Cities75’ which adopted this ecologically friendly alternative solutions to traditional flood control and drainage systems as pilot experimental areas.

The target of the scheme is for the participating cities to ensure 20% of the urban land need to have sponge features by 2020, aiming at absorbing 60-80% of annual rainfall. This target is expected to increase to 80% of urban land by 2030.

The measures implemented in “Sponge cities” encompass six categories76 aimed at mitigating the adverse environmental impact of urban construction. These include reducing surface runoff through the expansion of green areas and the use of permeable pavement, enabling urban roads to ‘breath’ and alleviates the urban heat

island effect77. Followed to that is the retention of rainwater, delaying peak runoff through various techniques and strategies. The third is to employ rainwater storage facilities such as tanks to reduce peak flow, facilitate rainwater utilisation, and promote water conservation. Water purification measures are the next important category with a particular focus on developing ecological wetlands as a primary strategy. Utilising stored rainwater for urban development purposes and responsibly discharging any remaining stormwater into sewers or natural body of water are the final two aspects.

The sponge infrastructures implemented in Wuhan include78 “rain gardens, green roofs, permeable pavements, grass swales, bioretention facilities, depressed green spaces, pervious concrete pavements, constructed wetlands, rainwater-fed wetlands, infiltration-removal wells, infiltration basins, infiltration manholes, infiltration trenches, rainwater storage modules, pervious asphalt pavements, vegetation buffer zones, wet ponds, artificial soil infiltration facilities and ecological embankments”, which are designed to enhance water absorption, retention, and natural filtration within the urban environment.

By 2022, Wuhan has achieved great success and now become China’s leading ‘sponge city’. It has completed 123 square kilometres sponge city79 construction area with the rainwater runoff control rate reached over 75%, achieving the goal of sponge control.

Permeable surfaces one allow water to seep into the ground

Sponge cities rely on natural waterways that meander and slow down water

© Wuhan Institute of Landscape Architectural Design Co., LTD

Sustainable Buildings and Materials

Ensure elements that compose urban spaces are environmentally sustainble.

The growing awareness of environmental issues, such as climate change, air pollution, and resource depletion, has prompted a shift towards more sustainable practices in the built environment. Green and sustainable buildings, along with pollutionabsorbing materials, help minimise the ecological footprint of cities and contribute to a healthier and cleaner environment in the rapid urbanised and ageing urban context.

China’s green building materials market is primarily driven by the growing environmental concerns related to high carbon emissions from traditional buildings and building materials. Massive infrastructure construction is taking place to cope with its urbanisation speed. Market statistics80 revealed that approximately 5.2 billion square meters of new buildings are constructed annually in China, resulting in the consumption of 2 billion tons of cement and 600 million tons of steel, and leading to an increased emission level. Emissions from the life cycle of buildings in China surpassed half of the country’s emission in 2019 and nearly half of its national energy consumption81

China pledged in 2020 to achieve a peak in carbon emissions by 2030 and strive for carbon neutrality by 2060. There is a growing trend of smart cities and ongoing renovations using sustainable and green building materials on the current infrastructures. Additionally, the adoption of innovative technologies assisting in energyefficient and enhanced product variants, such as ultra-high-strength concrete, eco-friendly sheetrock, and moisture-resistant drywall joint compounds, is expected to contribute to the market’s growth in the future. The market is expected to have a CAGR of 11% during 2022-202782

China secured the top position on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification list for buildings in 2020, marking its fifth consecutive year at the forefront, with a remarkable 50 percent increase with over 1,19083 newly registered LEED projects compared to 2019. The use of low carbon mechanisms and materials are strongly promoted in the construction of various building types as ongoing efforts to reduce emissions and enhance energy conservation.

Harvesting sustainable building materials84 results in reduced waste compared to materials like plastics, thereby minimizing landfill usage, lowering energy consumption, and mitigating environmental pollution. These materials enhance the sustainability and efficiency of buildings and are extensively used in both residential and non-residential sectors.

Green and sustainable buildings and materials provide better living environment in urban areas, which holds significant importance for older adults and society as a whole. Prioritising ventilation and filtration system, thermal insulation, sound insulation, green buildings provide high indoor air quality, comfortable indoor temperatures and quieter living environments. Further, green roofs, parks and green areas, which are often adopted as part of sustainable building construction, offer additional opportunities for residents and visitors to engage in outdoor activities, socialise and enjoy nature, enhancing the overall quality of life.

CASE STUDY

Buildings that Absorb Pollutants

Buildings are designed using a variety of mechanisms to contribute to a sustainable environment.

Some buildings integrate natrual plants as a measure to purify air, such as Bosco Verticale85 in Milan, italy, and One Central Park86 in Sydney, Australia, while other buildings adopt new materials to absorb pollutants in the air. Palazzo Italia87 in Milan uses smog-purifying façade, which is a special air-purifying photocatalytic cement made from recycled scraps of marble and left-over aggregate that absorbs pollutants in the air and covert them into harmless salts that washes off in the rain, stretching over 9,000 square metres of surface with a photovoltaic glass rooftop to generate solar energy during daytime. It is estimated that 9,000 square metres of this cement has the capacity to absorb the exhaust emissions equivalent to that of 100 diesel cars and nearly 300 petrol engines.

Similarly in Mexico, the Hospital Manuel Gea Gonzalez88 also seeks solutions through specially designing its façade into a honeycomb that is capable of filtering air pollutants through a layer of ultrafine titanium oxide coating while providing essential protection from solar glare and overheating. Referred to as Prosolve 370e, this innovative technology has the capability to neutralise the emissions generated by 1,000 cars daily.

© Palazzo Italia

CASE STUDY

Paint Cleans Air

Approaches by researchers from the University of Liverpool89 aim at absorbing pollutants using special paints on exterior walls of existing old brick buildings. Professor Dmitry Shchukin has developed a thermos-regulating paint to realise this target while releasing heat inside brick buildings. The light-activated catalysts have been embedded in paint, made with titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which then neutralise airborne pollutants later through photocatalysis. This paint called Airlite has been used into paints by 21 street artists that create Europe’s first pollution-eating mural90, a seven-story building in Rome which spread over 100 square metres. Volkswagen91 also used Airlite to advertise ID.3 across cities in the UK, reflecting its strategy of reducing carbon footprint apart from using 100% renewable electricity to manufacture its ID.3 vehicles and its plan to recycle the batteries.

© Lena Cruz

© Volkswagen

Urban Air Purification

Seeking innovative solutions to improve air quality

Air pollution levels have been of great concern to Chinese citizens for several years. However, while improvements have occurred92, demand for further action comes as research uncovers the long-term effects of air pollution on our health.

Recent research has linked high levels of air pollution with increased incidences of dementia93, heart disease, hypertension94, sleep disturbances95, and cognitive impairment96. Exposure to polluted air will have an impact in our health into later life.

The transport sector is one of the leading causes of air pollution in China, and it is estimated that between 20-50%97 of local fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions in Chinese cities -. Shenzhen 52%, Beijing 45%, Guangzhou 22% - are produced by transport. Nationwide, nitrogen oxides from transport solutions such as motor vehicles have accounted for about 60% of the total emissions, and volatile organic compounds account for about 23%98

As a result, Chinese citizens are already doing what they can to reduce their exposure to these pollutants. The Chinese Air Purifiers Market stood at USD 1,489.84 Million in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.12% to surpass USD 1,767.81 Million by 202599

A recent catalyst driving awareness of air pollution is that of the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant reductions in air pollution across many countries, including China, were visualised by institutions such as NASA100 and mainstream media101 outlets during nationwide lockdowns.

As everyone expects to reach healthy longevity, there is a growing expectation for innovative companies to take measures to improve air quality in urban areas, which goes beyond the implementation of government plans focused on increasing green spaces to mitigate carbon emissions.

© Alex Gindin

CASE STUDY

City Air Purification System (CAPS)

Jointly invented by Arup and Sino Green in 2015, the City Air Purification System (CAPS) was initially installed in Hong Kong for a twoweek prototype data collection, and then in Tsinghua University in Beijing, China for further research and study. This system was fabricated in the form of a bus shelter102, which was approved to significantly improve air quality in the open space via filtration. The mechanism is to draw air into the system through the inlet at the bottom of the structure and using a bag filter to purify air by removing fine suspended particles (PM10 and PM2.5). The cleaned air is released through the louvre overhead. Empirical data indicated a 40% reduction in the concentration of air pollutants.

This prototype has now been upgraded to a second generation in 2019103. The new CAPS

©

2.0 improved its air purification capability by adding duo air currents and using anti-bacterial, nano-porous filter. With connection with Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time monitoring and data comparison, the upgraded prototype also added interactive displays as well as using solar panels for energy supply. The new CAPS 2.0 technology has a potential to be easily adapted to almost all general public transport network.

Similar exploration has taken place worldwide such as the ‘Fahsai’ urban air purifier tower104 installed in Bangkok, Thailand in 2020. It removes pollution and PM2.5 dust with hybrid auto air purification technology.

...We are delighted to collaborate with Arup

on

another novel green

initiative.

We also hope that the technology can be adopted in China as we work together to tackle air pollution and improve air quality. This is our contribution to building a greener, cleaner community in our small, humble way.

Mr Daryl Ng, Executive Director of Sino Group

© Sino Group

© Khajochi

© Khajochi

Ryan Winstead

Organic Urban Air Purification Approaches

Nature-based urban air purification solutions are also being explored and tested worldwide.

Three ‘CityTrees105’ made of real moss have been permanently installed in London in early 2020 to filter pollution from the air locally. It adopts biotech filters – living plants and mosses to capture toxins and remove pollutants from surrounding environment. The greencity solution106 uses a biotech fine dust filter to bring fresh air to city. integrated with IoT technology, the CityTree also has ventilation system that brings cool air to surrounding area. it is claimed that the moss can filter up to 82% of the fine dust in the air and cooling surroungding area by 2.5 degrees.

The Liquid Tree107 installed in Belgrade, Serbia is another innovative exploration to tackle urban greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. It is an urban photobioreactor using microalgae to lock CO2

© Dezeen

© Pinterest

© Dezeen

© Greencity Solutions

CASE STUDY

Innovative Solutions towards Cleaner Urban Air

Plants have been incorporated into buildings to help fight air pollution. Rooftop gardens, and vertical gardens are more widely adopted to absorb pollutants from air, release oxygen, and provide cool air against the urban heat phenomenon. One Central Park108 in Sydney, Australia, has a living tapestry of plants, flowers and vines, stretching over 50 metres high, making the total green wall reaches an area of 1,200 square metres. From a Garden City to a City in a Garden, and now a City in Nature, Singapore has long been a leader in leveraging the power of vegetation into urban design. By the end of 2020, 43%109 of its buildings had been greened, with a goal to reach 80% by 2030. From Changi Airport110, to Marina One111, vertical gardens are part of its government’s development plan - Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High Rise (LUSH)112, to enhance the quantuty of the green area and to provide more greenery.

Initially used as a solution to tackle food insecurity in urban areas, Urban farming is now linked to urban sustainability, community health campaigns, local food promotion, and other social benefits. It helps improve air quality, reduce urban heat, and further reduce carbon footprints as the transport for products is reduced113 Community gardens114 and rooftop gardens115 promote sustainability and food awareness, allowing urban residents grow their own vegetables as a leisure as well.

Apart from introducing plants to produce more oxygen and reduce carbon emissions, other indirect solutions also

contribute to greener urban air. Low-cost air sensors116 in urban environments are used as a more flexible and adaptable solution to help better monitor of pollution trends in cities, providing realtime air quality data to fill the gaps that government monitors, which require extensive infrastructure, may miss. They are normally solar-powered and rely on cellular connectivity. Breathe London117 is one of such approach that offer affordable air quality sensors to citizens, schools, and communities, collecting data that will contribute to improving local air pollution or reducing exposure to pollution.

Similarly, cities are making efforts to reduce traffic pollution by implementing innovative mobility strategies. In Strasbourg, France, initiatives were introduced to reduce stop-and-go traffic118, while in Copenhagen Green Wave119 technology was introduced to encourage cycling by coordinating traffic lights for cyclists.

Innovative companies are exploring various approaches to purify urban air, whether by leveraging organism characteristics to enhance city construction and urban environments or by monitoring and altering people’s travel behaviours. As efforts continue, there remains ample opportunity for innovation in the quest for cleaner urban air in the future.

© HG Esch / Marina One

© Clarity Movement Co.

© Inter Norga

Greener Urban Solutions Key Considerations

Sponge City

As a primary concept and plan in addressing water problems in China, how can your products and services support realising this concept, such as exploring and deploying new materials, and seeking special use of plants? Climate change creates uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of this solution. Therefore, business strategies should adapt accordingly and pursue dynamic solutions.

Green Building and Materials

How might you leverage new material innovations to achieve greener results? Can you take inspiration from other industries such as art?

Think about how your products or services and fit into local green building design standard. Are there any affordable solutions for transforming existing building into sustainable ones, such as adding pollutant absorbing paining on their exterior walls?

Urban Air Purification

Can your products tackle air pollution challenges in some way, such as reducing carbon footprint or purify urban air?

Ensure your business strategy prioritises the reduction of air pollution from material sourcing to final delivery.

How might you design the delivery of air pollution information to helo older adults make informed decisions to reduce its impact on their health?

Think of indirect ways of contributing to addressing urban air pollution, such as effective monitoring or increase ventilation.

Tech-Empowered Autonomy and Social Participation

Driven by the desire for healthier longer independent lives, technology innovations are helping older adults to realise ageing in place

AgeTech120, an emerging gerontechnology, addresses the needs of older adults enabling autonomy and independence. In general, AgeTech provides technology-based innovations such as, artificial intelligence, mobile technologies, robotics, ambient systems, and other information and communications technologies (ICT). In terms of autonomy and independence, AgeTech can facilitate and manage one’s self-care, health, and mobility by adopting digital games and social robots.

Extended independent living and social engagement are positively contributing to a good quality of life. Older adults in China are harnessing the advantages of innovative technology to tackle the challenges brought by rapid urbanisation and society ageing, seeking solutions to assist independent living and retain social participation in urban context.

In communities across China, local authorities are adopting innovations to help older adults to live independently. Safety sensors and wearable devices are becoming more commonplace across households. Families are increasingly adopting portable health monitors and emergency contact devices. AI robots, smart beds, and mobility aid services are gaining popularity among ageing care institutions and community services.

The market size for smart ageing care121 in China was approximately RMB 8.2 trillion yuan (£910 billion) in 2022, marking a year-on-year growth of 34.4% and constituting 78% of the total scale of the ageing care industry. It is projected to further increase to RMB 11.4 trillion yuan (£1.26 trillion) by 2024.

Demonstration projects are proceeding nationwide to learn how digital

services could more efficiently enable community workers to provide services and management to their residents. Cloud-based smart ageing platforms and systems using IoT, big data, GPS, and GIS are being tested to meet the needs of older citizens.

Technology related services and products are no longer exclusively for younger audiences. Digital-first models have become the default across finance, healthcare, and retail sectors, forcing users to adopt newer technology, so they can continue to engage with society. This shift has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with older adults moving online to shop safely, find social connections, and seek out entertainment. In rural areas, older adults are utilising live streaming and faster logistics to sell products.

So What’s Driving This Trend?

1. Demographic Shift, Family Structure Change, and Lack of Carers

With extended life expectancy and declining birth rates, China is facing rapid population ageing, seeing a demographic shift to a larger proportion of older adults in the overall population. Driven by the One-child policy122, China witnessed an evident decline in average family household size. With the rapid urbanisation, the proportion of older adults living alone or in empty nests are increasing significantly123

The average household size has decreased from 3.44 in 2000 to 2.62 in 2020124. On one side, policies promoting higher birth rates have led to more households with three or four members. However, the average household size keeps shrinking, showing an increase in one or two-person households. This suggests a trend towards households of varying sizes. Mainly influenced by factors such as job opportunities and shifting social norms, younger adults often prioritise their careers and move to big cities. Consequently, more older adults end up living alone in their hometowns, lacking the informal care they used to rely on.

The deficit of formal care is also prominent. There is a current demand of 6 million 125professional caregivers while only 500,000 personnel are capable to provide older adult care services. Difficulties in accessing affordable care facilities and qualified caregivers have resulted in many hiring low-skilled domestic workers instead126, putting many citizens in detrimental situations.

Innovative products and services designed to support independent living are empowering older adults in China to maintain autonomy in their later lives. These advancements offer creative ways for them to actively participate in social activities, contributing to enhanced physical and mental well-being.

2. Innovation Boost

With the growing pressure from other countries, President Xi Jinping127 has emphasised the importance of bolstering China’s self-reliance in the field of science and technology, encouraging the country to persist in its pursuit of becoming a leading global technological powerhouse.

In the global innovation system, China has climbed steadily from the 26th position in 2016 to the 14th position in 2019128. It is the only middle-income economy among the top 30, and it ranks among the top in indicators of innovation such as domestic invention patents, industrial design, original trademarks, high-tech next exports, and creative product exports.

In the “National Medium- and Long-Term Programme for Science and Technology Development (2006-2020)129”, China set the strategic goal of building an innovative country. It officially proposed plans to develop nine strategic emerging industries, including the new generation information technology industry, highend equipment manufacturing industry, new materials industry, biotechnology industry, new energy vehicle industry, new energy industry, energy conservation and environmental protection industry, digital creative industry, and related service industries. As of the first half of 2018, the industrial and service growth rates of strategic emerging industries exceeded the national average growth rate by 30%130. In 2021, the value added by China’s strategic emerging industries reached 15.3 trillion yuan, accounting for 13.4% of the total GDP, an increase of 5.8 percentage points compared to 2014131

Rapid population ageing and the increased awareness of healthy living has encouraged the design and development of innovation products to tackle the

shortage of ageing care in China. It was estimated in 2019 that the scale of smart ageing industry in China was approximately 3.2 trillion yuan with a compound growth rate of more than 18% in the past 3 years132. It is estimated to reach 10.5 trillion yuan in 2023133.

3. Better Education and Wealthier Generation

The upcoming generation entering retirement, born in the 1960s, has experienced the benefits of China’s reform and opening-up policy and the country’s economic take-off. They are more affluent than previous generations and have received better education134, adapting well to the digitalised world.

With easy access to the Internet, older Chinese individuals now have expanded social networks and have a strong desire to spend time with friends. This new generation of older residents, united by common interests and hobbies, enjoys a vibrant social life that includes activities such as traveling, attending senior university classes, singing in karaoke establishments, participating in community events and square dancing. They are familiar with social media apps, short-video platforms, and skilled in video editing techniques. They also have an increased awareness of keeping healthy lifestyles and tend to focus more on fitness and exercise. Key Opnion Leaders (KOLs) are leveraging their own influence to change people’s perceptions of the older population, advocating for healthy lifestyles and challenging agebased definitions, calling for endless possibilitites for the development of the ageing industry.

© Ding Ting / Xinhua

© Xinhua

Smart City and Ageing in Place

Innovative solutions to tackle ageing challenges and support ageing in place

A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods to collect specific data. Information gained from the data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently and thus improve operations across the city135

China has become a global leader in the smart city initiatives with its advanced ICT. Since 2008, smart city has become an important national strategy, and more than 89% (over 900 cities)136 of the cities in China put forward a smart city plan as of 2020. In 2016, a concept of “Innovative Smarter City”137 was proposed, which concentrates on the people-oriented notion, while promoting fairness and inclusiveness of public services is a the key focus. The National Development and Reform Commission138 initiates the use of cutting-edge information technologies (such as the Internet, cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence, etc.) to establish a public service information system with cross-departmental and cross-regional business collaboration. Further, exploring innovative development of the service model in education, employment, social security, pension, medical care, and culture, to implement convenient, integrated and proactive public services.

With the rapidly ageing population in China, the mode of 90-7-3 was proposed139: 90% of older people are cared for by family, 7% receive community care, and 3% live in an ageing care facilities. The “14th Five-Year Plan” – National Ageing Development and Pension Service System Plan140, highlights strengthening the ability of home and community ageing care services, and accelerating the development of a life-oriented service industry for older adults.

As an important measure to address population ageing, smart healthcare for the older citizens is a new format and model that integrates next-generation information technologies141 such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and intelligent information products with traditional healthcare for the older adults. Smart ageing leverages technological means to create an information-based ageing care service system from the perspectives of remote monitoring, real-time positioning, and unified platform information interaction, meeting the modern, scientific, and humanistic needs of the older adult and their families.

In the plan of “Strengthening the Ability

of Home and Community Ageing Care Services”, it emphasises on the use of technologies such as the Internet and the Internet of Things.

Firstly, promote the development of “Internet + ageing care services” by encouraging Internet platform companies to accurately match the service needs of older adults. This includes supporting the platform display of community ageing care service institutions and providing “menu-style” nearby and convenient services for older adults. Secondly, cultivating city-level comprehensive information platforms and industry vertical information platforms, and guiding the online and offline integrated development of the qualified ageing care service institutions and using the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence and other technologies to innovate their service models. Moreover, encouraging Internet companies to develop monitoring and reminder functions for various scenarios of older adults, using big data to facilitate the activities at home and travel, health management and emergency response for the older residents, supporting the ageing population to retain autonomy and realise of ageing in place.

MICRO TREND

CASE STUDY Super Brains for City Management

In 2021, the city of Changsha (the capital city of Hunan Province, China) and Tencent together launched the project “Changsha City Super Brain142”, which aimed at providing comprehensive digital support to Changsha’s development of a smart city. As the core infrastructure of Changsha Smart City, the “Super Brain” expands its applications to government affairs, tourism, medical care, and other fields through a “Data Brain Platform”.

Relying on the “Super Brain”, Changsha’s “Internet + Government Service” integrated platform has realised more than 300 high-frequency government services. Specifically, an urban mobile comprehensive service, namely “My Changsha”, efficiently and conveniently serves more than half of the city’s resident population, while “Smart medical care” is connected to 251 medical institutions in the city through “registration, payment, and reports on the code”, improving the medical experience of citizens. The smart emergency management featuring five-level linkage and agile response, have achieved standardisation and normalisation. A “Smart Cultural Tourism” has accelerated the realisation of visiting Changsha, tasting Changsha, and enjoying Changsha by using a mobile phone.

Such City Super Brains are being developed across China by different tech giants including products like

Tencent City Super Brains, Huawei Smart City Nervous System143 , Alibaba ET City Brain144, Baidu AI City145, and Smart City Cloud of Ping An Technology146

Huawei, one of China’s tech giants, is helping developing smart cities worldwide. One example is Gelsenkirchen, a city in northwest Germany. The city has a plan to become a smart city to improve the quality of life for its citizens. It aspires to build a city-wide security platform uniting local businesses, city officials, and law enforcement to maximise safety and provide future city services. This is supposed to be a role model for all other cities in Germany using digital technology in innovative ways.

Gelsenkirchen is collaborating with Huawei147 and a regional technology services provider, GELSEN-NET, to implement the nation’s first Safe City. They have developed open, customercentric solutions and built a sustainable ICT ecosystem. The cloud data centre integrates and shares city information resources to improve government service efficiency and decision-making accuracy.

To create smart cities that are inclusive to all age groups, it is important to get residents, including older generations to be involved earlier and co-design the digital layer.

© Tencent

© Tencent

CASE STUDY

“Internet + Ageing Care”

Communities and ageing care institutions are harnessing the ubiquity of the Internet to help provide ageing care services in China. Fujian province actively promotes technology-enabled smart ageing care148, which integrates online and offline resources through “Internet + ageing care”, and expands the application of information technology in the field of ageing care services. They have built a provincial-level comprehensive information platform for ageing care services, a six-level penetrating system for the ministry, province, city, county, township, and village, promoting the aggregation and sharing of ageing care service data across the province, and improving the level of informatisation for ageing care services.

Some testimonies from the older adults and the staff can be listed as follows: “The community has equipped me with a smart bracelet and an SOS caller. In case of an emergency such as a fall, I can call for help and call the police. Usually, if the washing machine is broken or I don’t want to cook, etc., I can also place an order with one button through the smart button.”

“Through the data changes in the data center, we can judge whether there is an abnormal situation at home for the older adults living alone. If an older person who often comes to the center for activities has not appeared in the center or came to eat in the last 48 hours, the system can help us accurately identify older adults and their current situation, which allows us to follow up in time.”

© Zongzhi HUANG

Recreational Life 2.0

Upgrading leisure and entertainment activities in urbanised and digitalised living environment

The entertainment demands of older adults in China have evolved significantly with the growth of the new “Internet+” concept. Older age groups now increasingly seek diverse and personalised options beyond traditional media and public venues, showing a growing interest in skill-based commercial courses like modelling, photography, and instrument learning.

According to Tecent Research149, nearly 60% of middle-aged and older adults in China pay monthly for leisure activities such as travel, social entertainment, and hobby learning, spending an average of RMB1,2001,700 annually on courses. Short videos and live streams are the main channels for discovering course information, with 90% of older adults using online courses due to their convenience and variety. WeChat is the dominant learning platform, with 59% of users sharing good content with friends and family.

Research150 showed that in June 2018, people aged 50 and above had an average monthly online time to 109 hours, a 28.5% increase from 2017. From March 2018 to March 2019, older users have spent nearly 600 million hours in short-videos, representing a year-on-year growth of 17.9%. By

2022, China has a total number of 1.06 billion Internet users, among them 30% aged 50 and above and 14.3% aged 60 and over151

China has witnessed an increasing number of older Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) leveraging the power of the Internet+ platforms to create brand images targeting at older consumers and participating in charity activities such as assisting farmers, promoting older people’s awareness against fraud, and advocating for healthy lifestyles. Alibaba152 has recruited KOLs aged 60+ with salaries of RMB400,000 to test and provide insights on new products designed for older users.

Another trend emerging on Chinese social media networks is the reconnection between children and their older relatives153. Chinese millennials and Generations Z, many of whom were raised by their grandparents, are adopting a creative approach to showcase their family’s style online by purchasing fashionable clothing for their parents and grandparents, challenging the stereotype that older people are out of fashion.

Research by AgeClub154 shows that older adults in China are becoming

increasingly conscious of personal care, such as hair, oral and body care. Additionally, they allocate generous budget for annual travel. While selfdriving is a popular option, they prefer group travel, with or without professional tour guides. Research155 shows that in 2021, individuals aged 45 to 64 embarked on 902 million trips, comprising 27.8% of all tourists and emerging as the largest demographic in the tourism sector in China. This group of population contributed to cultural and tourism expenditures surpassing RMB 700 billion yuan (£77.1 billion) in the same year. The number of trips by individuals aged 55 and above has nearly tripled year-on-year in 2023, with the primary consumers being those aged 55-60 (60%) and 61-65 (20%).

For older Chinese individuals, travel quality and service level are more important than price, presenting opportunities for businesses in international tourism and those offering products and services to enhance the travel experience.

© Glam-Mas

CASE STUDY

E-Sports

In addition to online social activities, older gaming influencers are actively challenging the stereotype that e-sports are exclusively for young people. In Japan, games and e-sport have emerged as a new trend among the older generation, enriching their retirement lives and serving as a solution to prevent and treat cognitive degradation. E-sports can have a positive impact on the human brain in many aspects such as spatial perception, visual attention, and instant memory training, making it highly suitable for promotion among older generations. A noteworthy example is the city of Yokohama in Japan, which organised an e-sports experience event for residents over 50 years old in 2021156. This event, now in its fourth iteration, has gained significant interest and participation from older adults, reflecting the growing enthusiasm for e-sports in this age group.

In July 2020, a Japanese company ISR announced a first older people only e-sport facilities named ISR e-Sports157. In ISR e-Sports, they provide a thorough training courses, taking beginners from how to start the game. ISR also provide e-sport related job opportunities, such as game anchor, e-sports coach and other re-employment opportunities for retired people. They’ve also designed a healthy schedule for gamers with an integration of gaming time and relaxing time. During break, ISR e-Sports will provide rooms for its

older members to socialise and enjoy a cup of coffee. In fact, senior e-sport teams are not a recent phenomenon in European and American countries, such as the Silver Snipers158 in Sweden and the Grey Gunners159 in Finland.

Catalysed by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures, China has seen a remarkable surge in older gamers, with a 130% increase in male participants and an 80% increase in female participants during the second quarter of 2021. In 2023, Meituan, a Chinese shopping platform and retail services company, sponsored a older e-sport team in China with an average age of 55 years old of its members160. The team members have diverse levels of experience in e-sports, ranging from up to 5 years to less than one year. After one month of intensive training, they have competed against a professional young e-sport team. The key messages conveyed through this competition was to break the stereotypes against older generations and promote the spirit of sportsmanship.

Some nursing homes161 in China are starting to integrate new activities such as e-sport facilities into their activity schedules.

© Jinlin Fan

© South China Morning Post

KPL

CASE STUDY

Active Ageing - Gyms Are Now Open to All Generations

Regular exercise is an important component for active and healthy longevity. According to “People love fitness - 2022 National Fitness Trend Report”162 jointly released by Keep, a widely used Chinese mobile fitness app, and People’s Health revealed that the fitness consumption willingness and fitness intensity of older people in China are growing rapidly, with a main focus on improving cardiorespiratory fitness and strength training. They spent an average of 41.72 minutes on muscle strength training courses163, much longer than youth and adult bodybuilders.

Fitness data released by Leke164 in October 2021 shows the number of users on the platforms over the age of 60 has grown significantly in the past two years, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 30%. Key Opinion Leaders165 on short-form video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou are also helping to fuel the growing interest in fitness amongst older adults.

Fitness concepts designed for older people are not new. SilverSneakers166 is a community fitness programme for older Americans developed in 1992. It provides fitness services to over 15 million older adults via its 17,000 branches and some community centres. SilverSneakers provide a wide range of online and offline courses to fit different needs of older members, such as yoga, water therapy, taichi, and cardiorespiratory exercises. Q4 Active167 in California is a recenly opened gym designed for people aged 50 and over. It aims to help people to build a stronger brain and a healthier body through personalised and group trainings in cognitive and physical health. Apart from offline gym facility and official website, Q4 Active also developed an application with Genius Gyms for at home exercise. Its app community also provide a platform for members to engage with

other participants.

Similarly in Japan, Central Sports168, RENAISSANCE169, Konami OyZ170, and Leifras171, all provide personalised courses according to members’ physical condition. They will send coaches to nursing institutions, providing shortand long-term instructions on muscle strength training, exercises on improving and preventing diseases like Alzheimer’s, rehabilitation courses, using yoga balls, chairs, pedals, and other rehabilitation equipments.

Fitness centres for older groups are emerging in China too. Xinle Space - Older Adults Fitness Centre172 is such one located in a residential community in Shanghai. This community was built back to 1970s with limited open spaces for older residents to exercise. At Xinle Space, professional training equipments are all specially designed to be more suitable for older users. Its membership fee is also affordable for older residents at RMB 99 per month, with subsidies from government.

According to RENAISSANCE Club, 25 years ago, only 3% of their members were aged 60 and above. This number has now increased to one-third173. With the changing consumer perspectives and increased spending power regarding exercise, fitness, and health among older adults, there is a further accelerating penetration towards the middle-aged and older fitness population. Though still in an early stage, this industry has great potential.

© SilverSneakers

© Yudi Yang

© RENAISANCE

Tech-Empowered Autonomy and Social Participation

Key Considerations

Smart City and Ageing in Place

Can your products fit into the overall blueprint of how cities will be developed and managed in China in the future?

What are possible obstables in relation to regulations and restrictions in deploying your products into China?

Considering the shortage for ageing care serice providers, how could your products and serivces fill the gap and support older people in China to retain autonomy and live an independent life for longer? They might be more open to new technology than you think.

Keep in mind of the primary needs and wants of older adults when designing your products. Simplify and remove complex but less neccessary features, truly addressing the deep needs of older adults, while making your products and services affordable.

Recreational Life 2.0

Challenge your team’s currently held assumptions/stereotypes in relation to what older adults can and can’t do.

Learn about new trends and preferences of current older adults, ensuring your products and services meet the changing needs and demands of different generations as they have significantly different life background.

Remember that older adults can be as style and quality focused as yonger adults.

Conclusion

Like many other countries around the world, rapid urbanisation and population ageing are occurring simultaneously in China. Climate change and energy crises further emphasise the scarcity of resources, prompting people to reevaluate their current lifestyles, energy consumption habits, and transportation methods to tackle pollution challenges. At the same time, technological advancements have dramatically transformed people’s way of life. Further influenced by the pandemic and lockdowns, the internet has become more widespread in China, with people relying on it for travel, shopping, leisure, and entertainment, although this reliance has also led to phenomena such as a surge in offline consumption and tourism post-pandemic.

These call for cities to implement a series of plans and measures during their development and construction processes to help residents better adapt to these changes, ultimately achieving healthier and longer lives.

As cities continue to develop and age, there is a growing awareness within society to construct and design cities that actively support healthy longevity. Additionally, residents themselves are becoming more conscious of promoting healthy longevity within urban environments. The changing expectations and lifestyles of older adults in China, who are leading longer and more prosperous lives than previous generations, demanding adjustments in urban design, seeking innovative solutions to assist them for retaining health and independence within urban settings. While they need to continuously

adapt to the impacts of urbanisation and an ageing population, the government, urban planners, builders, and providers of urban life products and services must consider how to harmonise residents’ lives with city development, promoting a mutually adaptive and harmonious growth.

China’s government is laying the groundwork for policies aimed at building both age-inclusive and environmentally sustainable cities, coping with challenges posed by both urbanisation and population ageing. The vision for the future city is to be shaped by the needs, wants, desires, and aspirations of its people, while also considering how cities can thrive in an era where environmental concerns are paramount. China will continue to be a frontrunner in the testing and deployment of technology led urban living solutions such as devices supporting independent living, urban development concepts that boost interactive and inter-generational communication, urban infrastructure development that support residents’ physical and mental wellbeing, with all offering an opportunity to revolutionise the lives of all generations.

However, the report emphasises that meeting the needs of the growing older population requires efforts beyond technology development. Innovations in urban planning, building design, materials, and how we transfer previous stereotypes towards ageing are essential to address population ageing in urban context, improve social inclusion, enhance accessibility, and empower independence, so should not be overlooked. Interdisciplinary

collaboration plays a vital role in fostering innovation towards healthy longevity. Inclusive and greener urban design ensures that city infrastructure and facilities benefit all generations, including the growing number of older adults and people with disabilities. This approach makes it easier and healthier for them to actively engage in urban life and enhances intergenerational communication, fostering a sense of community integration. By addressing loneliness and isolation in both older and younger generations, it promotes both physical and mental well-being. Emerging technologies that enable independent living for longer, and change recreational pursuits is emerging and altering how people adapt to current and future urban environment.

Identifying and acting on the key trends which have been highlighted within this report and are related to helping older adults adapt to urban environment will help your company to flourish in the Chinese market in the years to come. At NICA, we can help you advance with our unique branded approach, Ageing Intelligence®. This approach combines research expertise in understanding the correlation between market demands, industry dynamics, and people’s needs. We integrate the latest in artificial intelligence and evidence from big data with what is arguably the key intelligence: human experience. By harnessing the immense wisdom, insights, and experience of citizens and their stakeholders—their human capital— we rapidly translate this intelligence to co-create, design, develop, and bring to market products and services urgently needed worldwide. Our goal is to provide people with choices to live healthier, better, and longer lives.

harnessing the business opportunities related to the longevity economies through human experience, ethics, data, collaboration, emerging technologies & innovative business models.

About Us

We are the UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing – a world leading organisation supported by an initial investment from UK Government and Newcastle University – to help co-develop and bring to market products and services which create a world in which we all live better, for longer.

We bring together cross-competence professionals and researchers, commercialisation experts, scientists, innovators and technologists working closely together with the public in a seamless way, exchanging their intelligence and backgrounds. Our sister organisation Voice® - Valuing Our Intellectual Capital & Experience - is an international network of thousands of “innovation ready citizens”. Through their engagement we want to inspire new thinking, build connections and empower people.

Together with Voice® we have developed a novel approach - named Ageing Intelligence® - leveraging the experience, skills and expertise of older adults, alongside people of all ages and backgrounds, together with their stakeholders, while harnessing big data.

Our role as a Global Observatory allows us to be uniquely positioned to help enterprises to capitalise their return-on-society and return-on-business in the longevity economies, generating new thinking and actions.

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