Theorizing ‘place’ in aging in place: The need for territorial and relational perspectives

This paper argues for a greater theorization of ‘place’ within aging in place research. It extends calls for a relational conceptualization of place by demonstrating the need for aging in place researchers to also pay greater attention to territorial aspects of place. This complementary understanding will help establish a new spatial grammar within aging in place research, that not only would improve conceptual clarity to aging in place, but it would also support a more critical engagement of aging in place in questions of inequality. The paper demonstrates this through a discussion of two forms of inequality pertinent to older people: the uneven capacity of places to support older people and experiences of social exclusion in relation to place attachment for older people from marginalized groups.