Research summary

  • This project explores how North Manchester’s major urban regeneration can better support healthy ageing in a community facing significant health inequalities.
  • The project brings residents, community groups, and regeneration stakeholders together with researchers in architecture, health sciences, engineering, sociology, and law.
  • Through co-production, the study will generate policy-relevant evidence to shape age-friendly environments, services, and infrastructure for people aged 50-plus.
Illustration of people viewing a “Queering the Map” display in a map collection.

Research aims

This interdisciplinary study brings expertise from architecture, health sciences, engineering, sociology, and law together with residents, community groups, and regeneration stakeholders to co-produce research and action on age-friendly urban regeneration. 

The focus is on North Manchester, an area with significant health inequalities among people aged 50-plus, which is currently undergoing Northern England’s largest urban redevelopment. The Victoria North project aims to create 15,000 homes and seven neighbourhoods over 20 years, improving transport and social and green spaces.

Cities are often imagined and designed with a younger, working-age demographic in mind, leaving older residents’ needs overlooked in regeneration efforts. Yet research shows that housing insecurity/instability and poor environmental conditions disproportionately impact older people, contributing to high rates of preventable illness, anxiety, and depression, particularly among those on low incomes.

In North Manchester, older residents face one of England’s starkest health inequalities, living nine fewer years in good health than the national average. Due to deprivation, they face high levels of:

  • preventable deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular disease and cancer.
  • social isolation and limited wellbeing support.
  • environmental risks (e.g., household air pollution).

Through co-production and cross-sector collaboration, this research will produce actionable evidence to shape policy and drive tangible improvements in age-friendly urban regeneration.

Funders and partner organisations

  • Funders: UMRI Pump Priming Award, Funded by Healthier Futures Platform
  • Partner organisations: Atiha Chaudhry, Manchester BME Network