Environmental justice discourses have engaged far less with age as a significant factor associated with injustice than with other sociodemographic signifiers such as race and class. In this paper I explore material from an empirical study conducted with older people in three neighbourhoods in Scotland, using a framework based on environmental and social justice theory. The analysis highlights various means by which older people can be excluded from and within urban environments and links these with justice narratives of distribution, procedural inclusion, and recognition. Consideration of age enriches environmental justice theory, but also highlights how it needs to connect more fully with wider social justice theory.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AbbotPSapsfordR, 2005, “Living on the margins: Older people, place and social exclusion”Policy Studies2629–46.
2.
AtlasM, 2001, “Rush to judgement: An empirical analysis of environmental equity in US Environmental Protection Agency enforcement actions”Law and Society Review3633–682.
3.
BarryB, 2005Why Social Justice Matters (Polity Press, Cambridge).
4.
BiggsSTinkerA, 2007, “What makes a city age-friendly? London's contribution to the World Health Organization's Age-friendly Cities Project”, Help the Aged, London.
5.
BrinkS (Ed.), 1998Housing Older People: an International Perspective (Transaction Books, Piscataway, NJ).
6.
BrookLyndhurst, 2004, “Sustainable cities and the ageing society: the role of older people in an urban renaissance”, Brook Lyndhurst consultants, London.
7.
BrownP, 1995, “Race, class and environmental health: A Review and systematization of the literature”Environmental Research69(1) 15–30.
8.
BullardR, 1993Confronting Environmental Racism: Voices from the Grassroots (South End Press, Cambridge MA).
9.
BunchandranonCHoweGPayumoA, 1997, “Ageing as an urban experience”, in A City for All: Valuing Difference and Working with Diversity Ed. BeallJ (Zed Books, London) pp 141–158.
10.
BurtonEMitchellL, 2006Inclusive Urban Design: Streets for Life (Architectural Press, Oxford).
11.
BythewayB, 1995Ageism (Open University Press, Maidenhead, Berks).
12.
CookeUKothariB, 2001Participation: the New Tyranny? (Zed Books, London).
13.
CruikshankM, 2008, “Aging and identity politics”Journal of Aging Studies22147–151.
14.
CutterS, 1995, “Race, class and environmental justice”Progress in Human Geography19111–122.
15.
DayR, 2006, “Traffic-related air pollution and perceived health risk: Lay assessment of an everyday hazard”Health, Risk and Society8305–322.
16.
DayR, 2008a, “Local environments and older people's health: Dimensions from a comparative qualitative study in Scotland”Health and Place14299–312.
17.
DayR, 2008b, “Local urban environments and the wellbeing of older people”, Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice, University of Glasgow.
18.
DEFRA, 2005Securing the Future: UKGovernment Sustainable Development StrategyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London.
19.
de VriesSVerheijRGroenewegenPSpreeuwenbergP, 2003, “Natural environments–healthy environments? An exploratory analysis of the relationship between greenspace and health”Environment and Planning A351717–1731.
20.
DWP, 2009Empowering Engagement: A Stronger Voice for Older PeopleDepartment for Work and Pensions, London.
EstesCGerardLZonesJSwanJ1984Political Economy, Health and Ageing (Little Brown, Boston, MA).
23.
FängeAIwarssonS, 2005, “Changes in accessibility and usability in housing: An exploration of the housing adaptation process”Occupational Therapy International12(1) 44–59.
24.
FeldmanPOberlinkM, 2003, “The AdvantAge Initiative: Developing community indicators to promote health and well-being of older people”Family and Community Health26268–274.
25.
FraserN, 2001, “Recognition without ethics?”Theory, Culture and Society1821–42.
26.
Glasgow City Council, 2005, “Ward factsheets 2005”, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow.
27.
GlassTBalfourJ, 2003, “Neighborhoods, aging, and functional limitations”, in Neighborhoods and Health Eds KawachiIBerkmanL (Oxford University Press, Oxford) pp 303–334.
28.
GlickmanTHershR, 1995, “Evaluating environmental equity: the impacts of industrial hazards on selected social groups in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania”, DP 95–13, Resources for the Future, Washington, DC.
29.
GolantS, 1984A Place to Grow Old: the Meaning of the Environment in Old Age (Columbia University Press, New York).
30.
GreenbergJSchimelJMertensA, 2002, “Ageism: Denying the face of the future”, in Ageism Ed. NelsonT (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA) pp 27–48.
31.
GreenbergM, 1993, “Proving environmental inequity in siting locally unwanted land uses”RISK—Issues in Health and Safety (Summer) 235–252.
32.
GROS, 2003Key Statistics for Settlements and Localities ScotlandGeneral Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh.
33.
GROS, 2006Mid 2005 Population Estimates for ScotlandGeneral Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh.
34.
GrundyEGlaserK, 2000, “Socio-demographic differences in the onset and progression of disability in early old age: A Longitudinal study”Age and Ageing29149–157.
35.
HansonDEmletC, 2006, “Assessing a community's elder friendliness: A Case example of the AdvantAge initiative”Family and Community Health29266–278.
36.
HartigTMangMEvansG, 1991, “Restorative effects of natural environmental experiences”Environment and Behavior23(1) 3–26.
37.
HonnethA, 1995The Struggle for Recognition: The Moral Grammar of Social Conflicts (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA).
38.
IwarssonSStåhlA, 2003, “Accessibility, usability and universal design positioning and definition of concepts describing person-environment relationships”Disability and Rehabilitation25(2) 57–66.
39.
KaplanS, 1995, “The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework”Journal of Environmental Psychology15(3) 169–182.
40.
KorpelaKYlénM, 2007, “Perceived health is associated with visiting natural favourite places in the vicinity”Health and Place13138–151.
41.
KuoF, 2001, “Coping with poverty: Impacts of environment and attention in the inner city”Environment and Behavior335–34.
42.
KweonB SSullivanWWileyA, 1998, “Green common spaces and the social integration of inner-city older adults”Environment and Behavior30832–858.
43.
LangILlewellynDWallaceRLangaKMelzerD2008, “Neighborhood deprivation and incident mobility disability among older adults”Age and Ageing37403–410.
44.
LavelleMCoyleM, 1992, “Unequal protection: The racial divide in environmental law”The National Law Journal15567–588.
45.
LawtonM PNahemowL, 1973, “Ecology and the aging process”, in Psychology of Adult Development and Aging Eds EisdorferCLawtonM P (American Psychological Association, Washington, DC) pp 619–674.
46.
LevyBBanajiM, 2002, “Implicit ageism”, in Ageism Ed NelsonT (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA) pp 49–76.
47.
McHughK, 2003, “Three faces of ageism: Society, image and place”Ageing and Society23165–185.
48.
MichaelYGreenMFarquharS, 2006, “Neighborhood design and active aging”Health and Place12734–740.
49.
MinklerMHolsteinM, 2008, “From civil rights to… civic engagement? Concerns of two older critical gerontologists about a ‘new social movement’ and what it portends”Journal of Aging Studies22196–204.
50.
MitchellGDorlingD, 2003, “An environmental justice analysis of British air quality”Environment and Planning A35909–929.
OakleyA, 1980Women Confined: Towards a Sociology of ChildbirthMartin Robertson, Oxford.
53.
PattersonPChapmanN, 2004, “Urban form and older residents' service use, walking, driving, quality of life, and neighbourhood satisfaction”American Journal of Health Promotion19(1) 45–52.
54.
PearceJKinghamSZawar-RezaP, 2006, “Every breath you take? Environmental justice and air pollution in Christchurch, New Zealand”Environment and Planning A38919–938.
55.
PhillipsDSiuO-LYehAG-OChengKHC, 2005, “Ageing and the urban environment”, in Ageing and Place Eds AndrewsGPhillipsD (Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon) pp 147–163.
56.
PhillipsonC, 1982Capitalism and the Construction of Old Age (Macmillan, Basingstoke, Hants).
57.
PinderhughesR, 1996, “The impact of race on environmental quality: An empirical and theoretical discussion”Sociological Perspectives39231–248.
58.
PopayJWilliamsGThomasCGatrellA, 1998, “Theorizing inequalities in health: The place of lay knowledge”Sociology of Health and Illness20619–644.
59.
PulidoL, 1996aEnvironmentalism and Economic Justice: Two Chicano Struggles in the Southwest (University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ).
60.
PulidoL, 1996b, “A critical review of the methodology of environmental racism research”Antipode28142–159.
61.
RawlsJ, 1971A Theory of Justice (Oxford University Press, Oxford).
62.
RichardLLaforestSDufresneFSapinskiJ, 2005, “The quality of life of older adults living in an urban environment: Professional and lay perspectives”Canadian Journal on Aging2419–30.
63.
RiseboroughMSribjlaninA, 2000, “Overlooked and excluded? Older people and regeneration”, Age Concern, London.
64.
ScharfTPhillipsonCSmithA, 2004, “Poverty and social exclusion—growing older in deprived urban neighbourhoods”, in Growing Older: Quality of Life in Old Age Eds WalkerAHennessyC (Open University Press, Maidenhead, Berks) pp 81–106.
65.
ScheidtR JWindleyP G, 1998Environment and Aging Theory: A Focus on Housing (Greenwood Press, Westport, CT).
66.
ScheidtR JWindleyP G, 2006, “Environmental gerontology: Progress in the post-Lawton era”, in Handbook of the Psychology of Aging6th edition, Eds BirrenJWarner SchaieK (Elsevier Academic, Burlington, VT) pp 105–125.
67.
SchlosbergD, 2007Defining Environmental Justice (Oxford University Press, Oxford).
Scottish Executive, 2006Scottish Index of Multiple DeprivationScottish Executive, Edinburgh.
70.
Shrader-FrechetteK, 2004Environmental Justice: Creating Equality, Reclaiming Democracy (Oxford University Press, New York).
71.
SugiyamaTWard ThompsonC, 2007, “Outdoor environments, activity and the well-being of older people: Conceptualising environmental support”Environment and Planning A391943–1960.
72.
SzaszAMeuserM, 1997, “Environmental inequalities: Literature review and proposals for new directions in research and theory”Current Sociology45(3) 99–120.
73.
TeoP, 1997, “Space to grow old in: The availability of public spaces for elderly persons in Singapore”Urban Studies34419–439.
74.
ThriftN J, 1996Spatial Formations (Sage, London).
75.
TownsendP, 1981, “The structured dependency of the elderly”Ageing and Society1(1) 2–28.
76.
United Church of Christ, 1987, “Toxic wastes and race in the United States: a national report on the racial and socio-economic characteristics of communities with hazardous waste sites”, United Church of Christ, New York.
77.
ValdemarssonMJernrydEIwarssonS, 2005, “Preferences and frequencies of visits to public facilities in old age—a pilot study in a Swedish town center”Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics4015–28.
78.
WHO, 1998Growing Older—Staying Well (World Health Organization, Geneva).
79.
WHO, 2007Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide (World Health Organization, Geneva).
80.
WisterA, 1989, “Environmental adaptations by persons in their later life”Research on Aging11267–291.
81.
YoungI M, 1990Justice and the Politics of Difference (Princetown University Press, Princetown, NJ).
