Spatial Injustice and Active Ageing: Examining the Age-Friendliness of Colonial Urban Legacies in Harare's Segregated Suburbs
Keywords:
colonial urban planning, age-friendly cities, spatial justiceAbstract
This paper interrogates the intersection between colonial urban planning legacies and contemporary age-friendliness in Harare, Zimbabwe, examining how Rhodesian-era spatial engineering continues to shape differential ageing experiences across socioeconomically stratified neighbourhoods four decades after independence. Employing the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities framework across eight domains-outdoor spaces, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and inclusion, civic participation, communication, and health services-this study compares formerly white suburbs with historical African townships, including Mbare, Mabvuku, and Highfield. The analysis reveals stark disparities in infrastructure quality, service accessibility, and social amenities that systematically disadvantage township older persons whilst privileging historically white suburb residents. These patterns demonstrate that colonial spatial apartheid has metamorphosed into persistent gerontological injustice, fundamentally constraining older Zimbabweans’ capacity for active ageing in low-income areas. The paper argues that addressing age-friendliness in postcolonial African cities necessitates explicit confrontation with inherited spatial injustices through transformative urban planning prioritising spatial equity alongside age-inclusive design.
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