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Population ageing and urbanisation are worldwide phenomena that are transforming societies and having profound economic and social effects on cities and countries throughout the world.Ageing is not taking place evenly, and in many developed cities, ageing growth rates are greater in peripheral areas than in the centre. This paper determines how intrametropolitan residential mobility and ageing-in-place patterns vary across age categories and geographical scales, explored through a case study of metropolitan Perth, a rapidly growing, low-density, sprawling city. Using a life course perspective, this study examines Australian residential mobility census data between 2006 and 2011 and disaggregates this into 4 age categories: preretirement (ages 55-64), seniors in active retirement (ages 65-74), mature-aged seniors (ages 75-84), and older aged seniors (over 85 years). This study adds to the internal migration literature by offering new insights into the age-specific mobility patterns of older populations within metropolitan areas. The results reveal that the overriding dynamic is one of stability across the metropolitan area with the dominant trend being "ageing in place." It was found that the likelihood of residential mobility varies by age, and a 2-peak mobility pattern was identified, with the preretirement and the older aged seniors exhibiting the most mobility. Additionally, although the majority of moves were short distance, younger ages moved farther than did the older aged categories.The study makes empirical and conceptual contributions to our understanding of ageing residential mobility trends within metropolitan areas.

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<p>Within cities, vegetation along road corridors (variously referred to as nature strips, street verges or easements) can play a key role in providing habitat for wildlife and green space benefits for urban dwellers. In the city of Perth, Australia, many local government authorities (LGAs) now permit residents to convert the publicly owned land along the street in front of their dwelling from ‘traditional’ (yet exotic) turf to low growing, native gardens. ‘Verge gardens’ are perceived to require less water and better reflect a local sense of place by using plants endemic to the biodiversity hotspot in which Perth is situated. While interest in native verge gardens is growing rapidly within the community, there is relatively little supporting, spatially-based information for residents. The uncertainty of not knowing where to start is keenly felt by those residents for whom verge gardening is their first foray into gardening with native Western Australian plants in the sandy, nutrient-poor soils of Perth’s Swan Coastal Plain.</p><p>Two LGAs in the city of Perth, Western Australia, were the focus of this research, both of which have deployed incentive programs to encourage residents to plant native verge gardens over many years. We conducted detailed semi-structured interviews and participatory verge garden mapping with 22 households who had converted their verges to native gardens over the last ten years, gauging residents’ views on verge gardening, nature, wildlife, community and sense of belonging. A small number of respondents were already highly knowledgeable on the topic of native plants before planting their gardens, while the majority of the respondents had increased their knowledge of native plants from a low initial level through the process of verge gardening. Verge gardens were mapped to highlight plant species diversity, age of garden and garden design style. Some residents had already drawn their own maps by hand, and shared these with us. Others kept detailed records of water usage, maintenance, plant growth and turnover, and insect and bird visitors to the gardens.</p><p>A consistent theme that emerged from interviews with the majority of residents who claimed limited familiarity with native plants was a desire for more readily available information to help support their efforts. Information needs included: environmental data on soils, landforms, flora and fauna; knowledge of which plants would grow well in their soil type; where to source locally endemic plants; the most appropriate water and nutrient regime to care for the plants; and nearby examples of successful gardens from which to draw inspiration. Drawing on the results of interviews and participatory mapping, we present a prototype design for a public participatory mobile application that can provide geospatial and ecological information to help support residents, allow for initial planning and progressive micro-scale mapping of verge gardens, and provide the possibility for sharing information on exemplar gardens. Our research feeds into larger conversations among local-level policy makers and planners on urban greening, increasing social cohesion within suburban areas, and providing habitat for wildlife under conditions of environmental change and increasing population density.</p>

Aged care and disability service organizations are critical infrastructure. However, in 2020, restrictions were introduced to reduce the infection risk of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and these organizations needed to quickly devise COVID-safe ways of working to continue to meet the needs of their clients. To investigate how these organizations adapted their service delivery and which innovations they felt were worthwhile for sustaining beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, interviews were undertaken with representatives from 26 aged care and disability service organizations across three states in Australia (Western Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria). Findings revealed that organizations adapted their practices across three key innovation areas: (1) developing new approaches or expanding existing services, particularly around food provision, social connection, information dissemination, and technology support; (2) modifying the mode of service delivery, through safe in-person contact or offering alternative online services; and (3) reducing bureaucracy and introducing remote working. A common theme across all service innovations was the strong focus on providing clients and staff with choice and control. Moving forward, many organizations wanted to integrate and maintain these innovations, as they were associated with additional benefits such as increased client health and safety, service flexibility, and sufficient human resources to serve clients. However, continued maintenance of some initiatives require additional resourcing. The continuation of COVID-19 pandemic adaptations and, indeed, ongoing innovation, would therefore be facilitated by greater flexibility of funding to allow organizations and their clients to determine the service types and modes that best meet their needs. Further, these innovations have implications for sector-wide best practice.

This paper reflects on whether and how the World Health Organization (WHO) inspires age‐friendly policymaking across different levels of government. This is done via a case study in which we analyse the policies of Australia's three‐tiered federated government system against the WHO's eight core age‐friendly cities domains. Findings suggest that membership of the Global Network of Age‐Friendly Cities and Communities did not appear to overtly inspire the development of age‐friendly policies across Australian governments. Content analysis shows there is an overwhelming policy focus on care and support services, with little attention to cultural diversity. This reflects an outdated portrayal of debilitation in later life and a lack of recognition of how diverse circumstances impact the ageing process and corresponding support needs. Our findings also reveal the challenges of a three‐tiered federated system, where varying financial and authoritative capacities have influenced how different governments acknowledge and respond to population ageing. Notably, local governments—the main level of implementation targeted by the WHO—are invariably constrained in developing their own age‐friendly policies and may opt to adopt those of higher levels of government instead. These challenges will likely impact other resource‐limited governments in responding to the needs of their emerging ageing populations.

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