What makes a Caring City?
Care is at the heart of thriving cities. You’ll find it in homes, schools, and hospitals — but also in policy, business, and infrastructure. Everyone benefits when cities are designed to support care work.
What is care?
Care is both a feeling and an action. For example, it can mean:
- Being worried about a sick person
- Nursing them through their illness
- Doing their cleaning while they can’t
- Giving them paid sick leave from their job
- Creating public policy to make medicine affordable
Who gives care?
Many people give care — and in many different ways. Care work is always valuable, whether you’re paid for it or not.
Paid care workers
Many jobs involve giving care — for example, nannies, nurses, early childhood educators, support workers, community care coordinators, and assisted living aides.
Unpaid caregivers
One in four Canadians is an unpaid caregiver. They typically give care to people in their lives, such as looking after children, translating for a friend, or doing household tasks.
Care advocates
We can all help build a culture of care, even if we’re not giving care directly to someone. This means making, supporting or advocating for decisions that prioritize care in our city.
Why is care important?
Well-being for all
Everyone needs care. We need it throughout childhood, when we’re sick or struggling, and in old age. Some people need care due to injury or disability. Caregivers need care too, due to the high demands of their work.
No one left behind
Supporting and strengthening care helps reduce social exclusion and inequalities. A Caring City aims to ensure all residents are safe, empowered, and thriving.
A thriving society
Care improves well-being, which in turn strengthens workforce productivity and contributions to society. Unpaid caregiving is valued at $97.1bn annually in Canada. Source Canadian Care Giving.
What is a Caring City?
A Caring City sees, values and supports both carers and those they care for. Its spaces, systems and services are designed for their needs — and everyone shares the responsibility for care.
Case study: Barcelona
Between 2013 and 2018, Barcelona launched 68 initiatives to improve and share the responsibility of care work, including:
- Digital training and non-market housing for seniors
- Access to personalized resources for carers
- Centre for caregiving advice and networking
The city also introduced “Superblocks” — 400m x 400m urban areas, each containing a car-free interior with green space and community amenities. The initiative continues to expand, with 500+ new Superblocks in the works.
Barcelona’s success story shows how urban planning, policy, and infrastructure can work together to build a more caring city.
How can we build a Caring City?
A Caring City brings the things we need to live and thrive closer to us, instead of looking for solutions outside our neighbourhoods.
This can look like:
- Adding benches to bus stops
- Prioritizing snow clearing at seniors’ centres
- Making sidewalks wider to fit wheelchairs side by side
- Creating green spaces with playgrounds
- Building more affordable housing
- Adding more bus stops in low-income areas
These are just examples. Each city is different, and there’s no single answer that works for all. So how can we make the right changes for our city?
Listen to residents
Cities can use participatory decision making to understand what residents really need and create solutions with their feedback. It often happens through public forums, surveys and community partnerships — giving everyone a chance to make their voice heard.
Think about who gets left behind
Cities should focus on the needs of people who face higher barriers. For example, women often have more caregiving responsibilities — so imagine if they could do daycare pick-up and their grocery shop all at the same bus stop.
Key features of a caring city:
- Social inclusivity
- Community engagement
- Sustainability
- Health and well-being
- Cultural diversity
- Safety and security
- Affordable housing
- Education and access to information
Download our Caring Cities paper (PDF) to learn more about key principles and global success stories.
How can I get involved?
We want to hear about your experiences of care and what you need to feel supported, included and fulfilled in your community. Find upcoming events such as our Care Walks and Women’s Action Forums — or ask us for a Care Walk in your neighbourhood.