Dates: 2026 – 2028
Intralaboratory Program Leader: Matthieu Gimat
Laboratory member involved in the program: Natacha Aveline
Team: CRIA
Transversal subject concerned: Making the City: Processes, Actors, Practices
Partner Organisation: National University of Singapore
Extralaboratory Program leaders: Sophie Buhnik (ESPI), Marion Ille-Roussel (Université de Lille), Emi Kiyota (National University of Singapore) et Lengleng Thang (National University of Singapore)
Funding: Paris-NUS Partnership 2026
Description: This project examines how urban renewal policies in the Paris region and Singapore address the needs of older adults aging in place within modernist neighborhoods. It examines three interrelated questions: how the experiences and aspirations of older adults are integrated into urban renewal design and policy, how stakeholders implement such interventions, and how the subsequent transformations affect older residents.
This project examines how urban renewal policies in the Paris region and Singapore address the needs of older adults aging in place within modernist neighborhoods. Many urban districts in both contexts were developed or redeveloped between the 1950s and 1970s according to modernist planning principles, characterized by high-rise and slab-block housing, open layouts, and the separation of pedestrian and vehicular flows through stairs, bridges, and platforms.
These modernist districts have aged alongside their residents, prompting extensive urban renewal initiatives. In Singapore, the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) and other initiatives implemented in parallel systematically incorporate aging considerations, including universal design, accessibility improvements, and integration of social, medical, and recreational facilities. In contrast, French urban renewal programs, initiated through the Grands Projets de Ville and consolidated under the Agence Nationale de la Rénovation Urbaine (ANRU), have historically focused on social and spatial upgrading, often paying limited attention to the specific needs of older adults. The comparative study of these policies is particularly timely as both regions experience rapid population aging: adults aged 65 and over currently represent 17% of the Paris region’s population and 20% of Singapore’s population.
The project situates itself at the intersection of environmental gerontology, inclusive urban design, and urban planning policy. It aims to explore how urban renewal practices can support aging-in-place, defined broadly as maintaining independence and community engagement in one’s residence or preferred living environment. The research examines three interrelated questions: first, how the experiences and aspirations of older adults are integrated into urban renewal design and policy; second, how stakeholders implement interventions that combine housing adaptations, public space redesign, and social services; and third, how these transformations affect older residents, particularly when large-scale operations such as demolition, reconstruction, and densification disrupt established routines and social networks.
By comparing Singapore’s integrated, age-sensitive renewal framework with the more socially-centered but less age-focused French approach, the project contributes to understanding the interplay between urban planning, policy frameworks, and the lived experiences of older adults. It highlights both the potential and the tensions inherent in using urban renewal as a tool for promoting age-friendly environments.
