The third site visit of 28 October was to the WHO Kobe Centre. Dr. Hiroshi Ueda, of the Urbanization and Health Equity Programme Knowledge Management Unit, explained the activities of the center in relation to the wellbeing of aging citizens. 

Established in 1995, in the HAT area of Kobe developed after the destruction of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, WHO Kobe conducts research into health related issues, guided by its Healthy Urbanization Project until 2015. It arranges meetings and disseminates publications to increase awareness and provide assessment and intervention tools for local and national governments. 

A recent WHO study, Wisdom Years: Ageing into the 21st Century, provides practical suggestions on strengthening relations among the aged, family and community members. As the health of the elderly is greatly influenced by having an active lifestyle and strong links with people around them, the study focuses on the importance of hobby clubs, educational courses, continued employment, neighborhood activities and shared mealtimes - all of which facilitate daily interaction among aged citizens. 

WHO publications such as Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide and the Checklist of Essential Features of Age-friendly Cities provide a universal standard to policy-makers who aim to improve the wellbeing of increasingly aged populations.

Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide
www.who.int/ageing/publications/Global_age_friendly_cities_Guide_English.pdf

Checklist of Essential Features of Age-friendly Cities
www.who.int/ageing/publications/Age_friendly_cities_checklist.pdf