City of the aged versus City of all ages

In this article I deconstruct the polar cultural myths about ageing and how these two influencing memes generate two contrasting scenarios for the future of the city. One meme can be seen as a weight resisting the preferred future whilst the other provides the attractive pull towards the preferred image. Both are interlinked by the reality of an ageing global population – a demographic driver that is shaping the city of tomorrow. This preferred image however is not inevitable; I argue that memetic change of Western society’s episteme of ageing is fundamental to achieving the City of all ages.