Even before the coronavirus crisis, the question of how best to design for an ageing population was rising up the agenda. How can architecture and design do a better job of supporting today’s ageing population? What is the best way to give older people full access to the city? How can we improve the design of housing and other institutions built for older people?

We were delighted to have assemble a distinguished panel to address these questions and, inevitably, to consider how our ambitions and approaches might change in light of the pandemic. We''d like to thank them for sharing their experiences and insight:

- Julia Park, Head of Housing Research, Levitt Bernstein
- Prof. Malcolm Johnson, International Institute on Health & Ageing, University of Bristol
- Maria Brenton, UK Cohousing’s Senior Cohousing Ambassador and trustee of the UK Cohousing Network Trust
- Matthias Hollwich, Co-Founder and Principal, HWKN

Chaired by Chris Foges, discussions covered a range of areas:

- Beyond following existing guidance, how should we be thinking about designing or retrofitting our housing stock?
- How are the needs of the older population being accounted for in the design of commercial and public buildings?
- What are the notable innovations in buildings and communities for end-of-life care?
- Do we properly understand the needs and desires of tomorrow's older population?
- What aspects of urban design and infrastructure limit full access to the city and public spaces for older people?
- Does the present crisis overturn our thinking on design for older people?

We would like to thank our partners Schueco for their continued support and hope you enjoy the discussion and look forward to receiving your comments.

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