Background

Since the 1970s, most Western nations have experienced a growth in inequality (Gordon, 2006; OECD, 2008b) and, in particular, a rise in the number of marginalised and deprived inner-city neighbourhoods (EC, 1997; Gordon and Townsend, 2000; Lee, 2000; Lupton and Power, 2002; Power, 2009). This has raised significant concerns related to the social and economic health of many Western countries (Barnes et al, 2003; Levitas, 2005).

Academic research and government policy have increasingly sought to focus on such areas (Power and Mumford, 1999; SEU, 2001a; Lupton and Power, 2002; see European Regional Development Fund, www.communities.gov.uk/ citiesandregions/european/europeanregionaldevelopment/), as there has been, in particular, a growing need to better understand the experiences of those living in such places and find policy solutions that improve individuals’ environmental wellbeing. In the UK, urban regeneration and renewal of deprived neighbourhoods has been a key policy focus of the New Labour government since 1997 (see SEU, 1998; SEU, 2001a). This focus has sparked wider public and academic debate about factors that underpin marginalisation and social exclusion of individuals and areas.

However, in the UK, academic research and social policy focus has largely been concerned with addressing the needs of children, young people and adults of working age living in these types of neighbourhoods (see the Policy Action Team reports: SEU, 1998–2000). Until very recently, the experiences and needs of older people living in poverty and social exclusion in these areas have been ignored (Scharf et al, 2002b; Phillipson and Scharf, 2004). Given the growth in both the ageing of the population and deprived inner-city areas, there is now an urgent need to better understand the situation of ageing in such places and to consider appropriate policy and practice solutions.