About Us
The Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group (MUARG) brings together researchers from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds to understand the interplay between population ageing and urban change.
We are committed to working in partnership older people, NGOs and third sector organisations, and national, regional, and local governments to promote ‘age-friendly’ urban environments: a major issue for public policy and an increasingly important area for interdisciplinary research. This approach, initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO), our partner organisation, reflects the need to develop supportive urban communities for older people.
The work of the Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group is a model for how research can drive meaningful change towards healthy ageing. By co-producing knowledge with older people, practitioners, and policymakers - including long-standing partners like the Greater Manchester Combined Authority - MUARG turns evidence into action.
Their commitment to tackling urban inequalities and advancing social justice aligns closely with the vision of the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities. This kind of collaboration is essential if we are to create environments where people can continue to do what they value and everyone can live long, healthy, fulfilling lives.
Dr Thiago Herick de Sa / Age-friendly Environments, World Health Organization
MUARG’s aims
- Lead cutting-edge, interdisciplinary and place-based research, both locally and internationally, to transform how ageing in urban environments is understood, experienced, and addressed.
- Pioneer creative, participatory, and co-produced methodologies by working in partnership with communities, older people, practitioners, and policymakers to drive research, innovation, and societal change.
- Shape the development of inclusive, evidence-based policies at local, regional, national, and international levels to advance social justice and improve the experience of ageing across diverse urban contexts.
Research themes
| Ageing in place | Tackling inequalities | Innovative methods |
|---|---|---|
| Examine how the home, neighbourhood, and urban change shape the everyday lives of older people. | Examine how structural inequalities shape older people’s experiences across a diverse range of urban settings. | Collaborate with minoritised groups of older people to co-produce knowledge that reflects diverse lived experiences. |
| Enhance social connection, participation, and belonging by co-creating community-based support systems. | Understand how social exclusion accumulates over the life course and produce unequal outcomes in later life. | Develop and test innovative community-based interventions that support social inclusion and shape policy and practice. |
| Promote international and cross-sectoral collaboration to advance the global age-friendly movement. | Challenge structural barriers and enhance fairness, voice, and influence in later life by promoting community-led responses. | Partner with cultural organisations and creative sectors to experiment with creative and participatory methods. |
Our research supports the promotion of age-friendly urban environments at the local, regional, national, EU, and global levels. We focus on understanding the challenges of social exclusion and the pressures facing older people in economically declining areas.
Over the past two decades, MUARG members have pioneered innovative research projects in partnership with older people living in areas of multiple deprivations, local authorities, voluntary organisations, and community groups. Our work particularly aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, aiming to make cities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by focusing on the interaction between population ageing and urbanisation.
Our work contributes to creating more inclusive and just cities that are socially and environmentally sustainable for current and future generations.
Dr Tine Buffel / Director, Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group
Ensuring that the 'new urban age' produces age-friendly communities is an urgent priority for research and policy.
Paul McGarry / Assistant Director, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Our areas of expertise
MUARG's research spans a diverse range of topics crucial to understanding and improving the lives of older people in urban environments. Our expertise includes ageing in cities, addressing inequalities in later life, and tackling social exclusion and poverty. We focus on ageing in place and enhancing social infrastructure, as well as examining the impacts of gentrification, regeneration, and urban change.
Our work also covers the ageing experiences of minoritised groups, including those defined by ethnicity, sexuality, and gender identity. We employ action and participatory research, co-production approaches, and strive to develop age-friendly cities and promote innovative housing design.