Mobilising Cross-Sectoral Collaboration in Creating Age-Friendly Cities: Case Studies from Akita and Manchester

Patty Doran (), Sophie Yarker, Tine Buffel, Hisami Satake, Fumito Watanabe, Minoru Kimoto, Ayuto Kodama, Yu Kume, Keiko Suzuki, Sachiko Makabe and Hidetaka Ota
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Patty Doran: Sociology Department, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Sophie Yarker: Health Geography, School of Science, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT, UK
Tine Buffel: Sociology Department, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Hisami Satake: ALL-A Co., Ltd., Akita 010-0976, Japan
Fumito Watanabe: ALL-A Co., Ltd., Akita 010-0976, Japan
Minoru Kimoto: Department of Physical Therapy, Akita University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Akita 010-8502, Japan
Ayuto Kodama: Department of Occupational Therapy, Akita University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Akita 010-8502, Japan
Yu Kume: Department of Occupational Therapy, Akita University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Akita 010-8502, Japan
Keiko Suzuki: Department of Nursing, Akita University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Akita 010-8502, Japan
Sachiko Makabe: Department of Nursing, Akita University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Akita 010-8502, Japan
Hidetaka Ota: Advanced Research Center for Geriatric and Gerontology (ARGG), Akita University, Akita 010-8502, Japan

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Developing Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCCs) is an increasingly popular policy response to supporting ageing populations. AFCC programmes rely on cross-sectoral collaboration, involving partnerships among diverse stakeholders working across sectors to address shared goals. However, there remains a limited understanding of what mechanisms and strategies drive collaboration among diverse actors within age-friendly cities. To address this gap, this empirical paper draws on examples from a comparative case study across Akita (Japan) and Manchester (UK), two cities with distinct demographic profiles but both with a longstanding commitment to the age-friendly approach. Case studies were created through a range of data collection methods, namely, a review of secondary data sources, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, and fieldwork in each city. Key insights from the case studies relating to the mobilisation of cross-sectoral collaboration were categorised into three themes: leadership and influencing, co-production, and place-based working. These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive; collaboration building through co-production and place-based working is essential to deliver age-friendly programmes, but these mechanisms rely on leadership and influence. Therefore, it is recommended that all three mechanisms be used to effectively mobilise cross-sectoral collaborations to collectively create AFCC and support healthy ageing.

Keywords: ageing; cross-sectoral collaboration; age-friendly; case study; leadership; older people; co-production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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