The complex social and physical environments where we live make some people more than others vulnerable to developing cognitive impairment. In other words, the factors that account for who is most likely to develop cognitive ill health due to the environment has less to do with 'how' we live and more to do with 'where' we live. We do not know how these factors interact to make urban environments a problem for brain health or which are the best policies and interventions for promoting healthy ageing and brain health for our poorest communities. This project aims to provide evidence for policies and practices that provide supportive urban environments to promote healthy ageing.

Working with a wide range of stakeholders, this project will explore the relationships between our biology, our lifestyles and our environment highlighting how they likely interact to affect brain health. The project will then analyse data from over 8,000 older people in Northern Ireland, and linking this to information about where they live, air pollution or the toxins in soil. We also intend to collect new data on a subgroup of 1,000 older people including more in-depth measures of brain health and better measures of physical activity, using GPS devices worn around the waist that monitor our locations. The project also involves workshops with local citizens to 'sense-check' our findings and promising prevention approaches.