Older People’s Perception of Changes in Their Living Environment after Relocation: A Case Study in Beijing, China

Beijing has been experiencing population ageing and rapid urbanization processes. Older people’s living environment has changed dramatically. This research aims to understand the older people’s perception of the changes in their living environment, the determinants of age-friendly living environment, and the impact path before and after their relocation in Beijing. The quantitative analysis is based on 353 valid questionnaires collected in four sample communities in Beijing. By using descriptive analysis and structure equation modeling (SEM), the results show that the living environment gets improved after relocation except accessibility to health care facilities. The cultural environment of the communities has significant impacts on the age-friendliness of the living environment. The physical environment of communities is able to improve the living environment indirectly through promoting the community cultural environment. This study sheds light on future research on age-friendly living environment for the ageing population in Beijing.