The study of ageing is continuing to increase rapidly across multiple disciplines. Consequently students, academics, professionals and policy makers need texts on the latest research, theory, policy and practice developments in the field. With new areas of interest in mid- and later life opening up, the series bridges the gaps in the literature as well as providing cutting-edge debate on new and traditional areas of ageing within a lifecourse perspective. Taking this approach, the series addresses ‘ageing’ (rather than gerontology or ‘old age’) providing coverage of mid- as well as later life; it promotes a critical perspective and focuses on the social rather than the medical aspects of ageing.

In this book Allison Smith provides new ways of understanding the relationship between older people and their environments, looking beyond the person– environment fit that has traditionally dominated the environment and ageing literature. By focusing on the experience of older people in deprived innercity communities in Canada and the UK she takes an unexplored approach concentrating on the wider social environment. The book is informed through a rich tapestry of older people's biographies, case studies and illustrations, highlighting the importance of both lifecourse and ‘place’ in our analysis of ageing.

The book will appeal to academics interested in environmental gerontology, urban studies, town planning, housing and community development. It has considerable relevance to policy makers in the field of ageing, particularly those engaged in environmental and housing issues on both sides of the Atlantic.