Urbanization is often thought of as a process related to population growth - cities are places where young people go, especially to find jobs. But many cities, like larger national populations, are aging. The phenomenon of Aging Cities is only starting to gain attention from policy makers, planners, and researchers who study urbanization.

The OECD published a 2015 report on aging cities. News organizations and other think tanks are starting to pay more attention to the issue. But this attention often focuses on older people, and on the infrastructures that support them. Seldom is eldercare labour thought of as a necessary social infrastructure. Yet eldercare workers are vital to aging in cities.

This project focuses on the experiences of workers who provide eldercare in 'global' cities, focusing on Vancouver and Shanghai. We hope that it will help draw attention to the vital nature of the work, and the challenges faced by workers in the sector. We also hope it will encourage joined-up thinking from policymakers in the areas of urban and social care policy.