Does the future community initiative enhance community age-friendliness? Evidence from Zhejiang Province, China

Abstract

With the increasing degree of aging in China, the age-friendliness of urban communities is critical for sustainable societal development. Initiated by Zhejiang Province, the Future Community Initiative offers a novel approach that integrates modern urban renewal with diverse aging needs. Using propensity score matching (PSM) and a large-scale survey of 56 communities, this study empirically validates the policy's impacts on age-friendliness, particularly its significant enhancements in social participation, community support and health services. However, respect and social inclusion showed limited progress, indicating areas requiring further attention. It was also observed that female seniors, older seniors, and seniors with low retirement incomes fully acknowledge the improvements in the age-friendliness of future communities. These findings contribute to the global age-friendly agenda by providing evidence-based recommendations for optimizing community inclusivity and resource allocation, particularly in rapidly aging urban environments.