The demographic shift of Malaysia toward an ageing population emphasises the need for context-specific, empirical-based assessment methods to determine environmental age-friendliness, particularly within the multiethnic cities of the Global South. Building on the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities framework to include technological and financial components, this study utilised a multidimensional tool to measure neighborhood age-friendliness in six local authorities in the Klang Valley, Malaysia (N = 511; ages 18+). This research incorporated a multigenerational perspective to capture perceptions from diverse age and ethnic populations regarding the city. The development of the tool was systematic and included expert review, content validity index validation, and piloting prior to implementation. Overall, the results indicated Klang Valley is moderately age-friendly with spatial and ethnic influences being greater predictors of perceived age friendliness than actual age. The master-planned administrative capital, outperformed organic, older cities in majority of the domains. Technology represents a factor of intergenerational inequality. Housing, health care, and finances demonstrate acceptable levels of satisfaction and provide insight into a national baseline where policies are successful in preventing extreme deprivation, but still fall short of providing necessary services at an optimal level of quality. There appears to be a regional gap in civic participation and employment. As the first council-level benchmark for Malaysia, this study expands upon person-environment fit theory, providing insights on age-friendly planning within the Global South which requires inclusive, intergenerational strategies that account for the interdependent nature of the urban environment, social identity, and generational needs.

Authors:
Sin Meun How, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Mohammad Mujaheed Hassan, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Zalina Shari, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia

About the Presenter(s)
Sin Meun How is a PhD candidate in Urban Planning and Design at Universiti Putra Malaysia, currently on a three-year sabbatical from the Malaysian public service. She holds a Master’s in Planning and studies age-friendly environments and well-being.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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