By 2050, more than 30% of the EU population will be aged 65 and above. At the same time, birth rates are falling, labour shortages are deepening, and migration is reshaping Europe’s urban fabric. Demographic change is not only our future—it’s already a reality. Our cities are changing rapidly, and while this transformation offers a beautiful opportunity to redefine urban life, it also brings complex challenges.
But those challenges are not isolated, these demographic forces intersect—demanding a fundamental rethink of how cities support care, work, and belonging across generations.
“Demographic change impacts key sectors such as housing, education, healthcare, and labour markets,” said Marjolein Moorman, Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam. “Challenges like labour shortages and a lack of affordable housing require coordinated action from local, national, and European governments.”
Indeed, the implications of population ageing go far beyond physical infrastructure. Ageing is a deeply gendered and intersectional issue, as older women often carry the burden of both caregiving and economic insecurity, particularly when they belong to migrant communities. At the same time, care work—often informal, underpaid, or unpaid—remains undervalued despite its crucial role in sustaining urban life.
At the recent Eurocities Social Affairs Forum in Amsterdam, politicians, city officials, and EU policymakers gathered to ask the hard questions: How can cities remain engines of equity and innovation in the face of ageing and economic disruption? What does it mean to design urban life that ensures the dignity of older adults, a fair future for younger generations and inclusive opportunities for new arrivals?
The forum may not have all the answers, but it achieved a common agreement on the ‘how’ – putting people at the forefront.
Beyond infrastructure: Designing cities for dignity
Cities are not just policy implementers—they are economic diplomats.
Ageing is not just about longer lives—it’s about justice, autonomy, and connection, especially for the most vulnerable. As Moorman remarked, “Diversity alone doesn’t create cohesion. Inclusion does. And that requires serious investment.”
“We need a new kind of public service,” said Jeroen Slot, Head of Research in Amsterdam. “One that supports people not just economically, but socially and emotionally—through public space, accessible transport, and community-based support.”
In Greater Manchester, part of the WHO Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, ageing is integrated into every layer of urban policy. From accessible transport to community-based care, the goal is to support autonomy and social participation in later life. Riga, too, is reimagining what elder care can look like. Through its Autonomy and purpose in ageing institutions initiative, the city is moving away from traditional institutions, reintegrating older adults into the community via co-designed activities and participatory care models.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam’s Long Life Home Flats allow elderly residents to age in place in modified, clustered flats that foster safety and peer support. Co-managed with residents, health workers, and housing providers, the model reflects a shift: from care for the elderly to care with the elderly. Another challenge is that, as populations become older, healthcare systems will face more and more diseases, many of them requiring chronic treatments. Amsterdam is also working on the prevention of diseases and encouraging a healthy life, for example, by removing vending machines at secondary schools.
Ageing, gender, and migration: a shared struggle
Urban ageing is a gendered, intersectional experience. As Dana Bachmann of the European Commission pointed out, “Women—especially migrant and low-income women—bear the disproportionate burden of both caregiving and old age poverty.”
Demographic change impacts key sectors such as housing, education, healthcare, and labour markets.
Barcelona’s Women Up! programme directly tackles this injustice, co-designing pathways with migrant women to provide training, mentorship, and access to childcare. It empowers those often sidelined—older women, informal carers, and migrant mothers—to reclaim agency in both work and civic life.
In Glasgow, Bailie Annette Christie, Councillor of the city, advocates for a “new liberal feminist pro-family agenda” to enable all genders to combine work and caregiving. Recognising care as economic infrastructure is no longer optional—it’s essential for long-term urban resilience. She also reminds that women’s financial stability and work-life balance are key to raising birth rates.
There was a 5.4% decrease in birth rates in the EU in 2023, stressing the need to address economic and social challenges. “When women have control over their reproductive rights, society thrives,” Christie voices.
Inspiring work from cities shows how inclusive skills strategies, rights-based approaches, and cross-sectoral policies can promote equity. Initiatives such as the 100 city pledges from the Inclusive Cities for All campaign highlight efforts to uphold children’s rights online and offline, build data-informed services, and guarantee access to health, housing, and public services—regardless of gender, legal status, or disability.
Education is the first step to making changes and ensuring intergenerational fairness. “The municipality must lead by example, investing in areas with the greatest need such as schools in underserved neighbourhoods. Amsterdam’s approach focuses on equal opportunities, targeting resources to where they are most needed,” explains Moorman.
A key initiative, family schools, provides children with education while supporting parents with language, financial management, and other essential services. “This holistic approach strengthens both individuals and communities,” says Moorman.
The time to act is now, and decisions made today will shape the cities of tomorrow.
Also, through Amsterdam’s Intergenerational approaches to migrant inclusion projects, initiatives like the Choices Support Centre assist LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, offer trauma-informed psychological services, peer mentoring, and community building, the programme recognises how gender, identity, and displacement collide—and requires care-centred, culturally responsive solutions.
The future of work: Skills, stability, and belonging
Demographic change is also reshaping the economic heartbeat of cities. As working-age populations decline and ageing accelerates, urban economies face a critical challenge: how to ensure the sustainability of the economic system with fewer workers.
Migration is emerging as a vital demographic and economic lever, helping to sustain labour markets and public services. But unlocking its full potential requires far more than attracting new arrivals—it demands policies that promote fair integration, inclusion, and participation.
Even migrants with higher education or stable employment still face significant discrimination. “What we find now is that people with a migration background who have had higher education or have good jobs still report a lot of discrimination. There’s a very long way to go,” states Slot. This highlights that integration is not just about economic contribution but also about social acceptance. Furthermore, as this migrant population ages, they may bring different expectations and pose new challenges for urban systems.
When women have control over their reproductive rights, society thrives.
At the same time, the nature of work itself is changing. Automation, the rise of gig work, and persistent informal employment are redrawing the boundaries of economic opportunity—often at the expense of marginalised workers.
Cities must respond with strategies that prioritise upskilling, lifelong learning, and digital access, especially for older workers and migrants.
Housing as economic and social infrastructure
Stable housing is a foundation for both ageing in place and migrant integration. In Glasgow, efforts to house refugees amid a housing crisis demonstrate how social innovation can meet structural challenges.
Drawing from Joseph Stiglitz’s insights on intergenerational inequalities, Christie underlines the challenges faced by younger generations, including housing affordability, debt, and social mobility. She calls for strong communities, public regulation, and a focus on the common good to combat these issues.
Innovations like Amsterdam’s Family Schools aim to break cycles of exclusion. By integrating adult education, youth support, and health services under one roof, they address structural inequality across generations.
Additionally, Amsterdam-Zuidoost’s De Tafelberg project—a former prison turned into a co-living space for students, professionals, and those in need of support—shows how cities can blend housing with employment and community life. The result is not just shelter, but belonging.
People with a migration background who have had higher education or have good jobs still report a lot of discrimination.
Truth is decisions taken now will have an impact on the later life of those who are young now. Intergenerational justice solves that. “There have been also some experiments to lower the [voting] age so you can go from 16 years old onwards just to have the experience, to be educated or invited to participate,” explains Slot. “And in general there are programs teach youngsters in school what politics is about, what democracy is about and why voting is important.”
From crisis to opportunity
The political message is clear: migration and ageing are not crises to be managed but transformative forces to be harnessed. With the right governance, investment, and imagination, cities can become spaces where everyone—young and old, new and long-settled—can thrive.
“The future of cities depends on intergenerational solidarity,” said Christie. “A shared city is not a shared society unless we invest in justice—across gender, age, and class.”
As André Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities, observed, “Cities are not just policy implementers—they are economic diplomats.” Urban governments are uniquely placed to connect local realities to global pressures—and lead the charge in building inclusive, care-centred economies.
But to build truly inclusive cities, local authorities need stronger support from the national and EU levels. This means targeted social investments, strategic resource allocation to narrow inequality gaps, and tailored funding through tools like the European Semester. Cities must also be co-creators of European policy—engaging municipalities, children, and citizens alike. Most importantly, local governments need to move from pilots to city-wide solutions, scaling what works.
“Cities are at the heart of Europe’s future and have the power to shape positive change. The time to act is now, and decisions made today will shape the cities of tomorrow,” states Moorman.
