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Revisiting the Role of Neighbourhood Change in Social Exclusion and Inclusion of Older People
Copyright © 2012 Victoria F. Burns et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
Objective. To explore how older people who are “aging in place” are affected when the urban neighbourhoods in which they
are aging are themselves undergoing socioeconomic and demographic change. Methods. A qualitative case study was conducted
in two contrasting neighbourhoods in Montreal (Qu ´ ebec, Canada), the analysis drawing on concepts of social exclusion and ´
attachment. Results. Participants express variable levels of attachment to neighbourhood. Gentrification triggered processes of
social exclusion among older adults: loss of social spaces dedicated to older people led to social disconnectedness, invisibility, and
loss of political influence on neighbourhood planning. Conversely, certain changes in a disadvantaged neighbourhood fostered
their social inclusion. Conclusion. This study thus highlights the importance of examining the impacts of neighbourhood change
when exploring the dynamics of aging in place and when considering interventions to maintain quality of life of those concerned
