Built, Natural, and Social Urban Environments and Cognitive Aging in Europe

Daniela Weber , International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Population aging and urbanization are reshaping later life in Europe. Understanding how urban environments affect cognitive health is crucial for promoting healthy aging. This study examines associations between built, natural, and social dimensions of urban environments and cognitive functioning among older adults across European cities. We use longitudinal data from seven waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004–2019), covering roughly 100,000 observations of adults aged 50+ living in big cities or suburbs. Episodic memory is measured via immediate and delayed 10-word recall (range 0–20). Urban environmental indicators such as access to services and public transport, green space, air pollution, heat exposure, safety, and social inclusion are linked to respondents using Functional Urban Area (FUA) codes and survey year, drawing on EEA, Copernicus Urban Atlas, Eurostat, and OECD data. We estimate random-intercept growth curve models, with repeated observations from individuals nested within FUAs, and countries. Models first examine each environmental dimension separately, then jointly; gender-stratified analyses and interaction terms assess heterogeneity. Sensitivity checks explore alternative model specifications and temporal alignment of exposures. Preliminary results show negative associations of air pollution (PM10, PM2.5) with episodic memory and positive associations of social inclusion with cognitive functioning. These findings suggest that both physical and social urban environments shape cognitive aging trajectories. By linking population aging, urbanization, and environmental health, this study highlights spatial inequalities in cognitive health and informs the design of age-friendly, cognitively supportive cities across Europe.

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 Presented in Session P80. Flash Session Environment, Human Capital and Inequalities