In 2009, Barcelona City Council, at the proposal of the Elderly Advisory Council, began the Barcelona, age-friendly city project, an initiative that is part of the Age-friendly Cities programme promoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which encourages health and well-being for the elderly. The elderly constitute one of the biggest, most dynamic and diverse groups in the city. The majority are active, independent people with great potential to be involved in citizen dynamics. Older men and women are working in the various participation councils to promote a better quality of life for the elderly, and also for everyone who lives in the city.

The city of Barcelona has a long tradition of building its own model of services, equipment, transport and public spaces with a view to enabling dignified ageing for everyone, in an accessible, welcoming and inclusive environment. A model that has always taken participation from older people into account in building these strategies. Beginning with this participation and involvement from the elderly, the public policies being promoted by Barcelona City Council have been aimed at encouraging active, healthy ageing for older people and at improving the well-being of those older people who are vulnerable due to dependency, isolation or very low levels of income.The ‘Barcelona, Age-friendly city’ project is a great opportunity to continue advancing in the same direction, and to do this within the context of a global network of cities that are seeking the same objective, namely, to create cities that will enable the elderly, in their diversity, to live with security, maintain their health and to participate in society fully; ultimately, cities that will facilitate and encourage the daily lives of people of all ages.

This is a project by older people and for older people, which seeks to continue building a city that considers the views and needs of the elderly, with the conviction that the proposals and ideas we put into practice will benefit everyone. This project seeks to cover all the spheres of life in the city, reflected in the eight dimensions that all the work is organised around: social and civic participation; mobility and transport, accessibility and the use of public and private spaces; housing; social and health services, mutual support and aid relations; respect, inequalities and conditions for inclusion and communication.

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