Call for Papers: Health & Place Special Issue on Contexts of Aging

Please consider submitting your work to a special issue I am co-guest editing for Health & Place. You can read more below or by going to the journal's site linked here.  Please reach out to me with questions using my email. 
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Aging in Place and Space: Contextual Influences on Health and CognitionSubmission deadline: 01 September 2025
This special issue aims to advance understanding of how contextual factors in the physical spaces and social places where we live influence aging and cognition across diverse populations and settings.
Special issue information:
We are pleased to invite submissions for a Special Issue of Health & Place focused on "Aging in Place and Space: Contextual Influences on Health and Cognition."
This special issue aims to advance understanding of how contextual factors in the physical spaces and social places where we live influence aging and cognition across diverse populations and settings. While much of the existing research has focused on urban or neighborhood-specific effects, this issue broadens the scope to include rural, suburban, and other underrepresented spatial contexts, promoting inclusivity and addressing critical gaps in the literature. By using "contextual" rather than "neighborhood" in the title, the issue explicitly invites research examining both the physical attributes of spaces and the social attributes of places, encompassing both the structural and socioeconomic dimensions of the environment.
This issue balances a focus on cognitive health with broader aging-related health outcomes, ensuring relevance to a wide audience while maintaining a cohesive thematic framework. It emphasizes the importance of addressing health and cognition holistically to foster contributions from diverse disciplinary perspectives. Aligned with the mission of Health & Place, the issue integrates perspectives from public health, social epidemiology, medical sociology, and spatial sciences to explore the interplay between place and health outcomes. Additionally, it will highlight innovative methodologies—including geospatial analyses, mixed methods, and longitudinal approaches—to inspire submissions that challenge traditional research paradigms and push the boundaries of existing knowledge.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
· Physical and social contextual influences on aging and cognitive function
· Mobility, life-space, and social isolation across geographic contexts
· Structural inequities, spatial polarization, and place-based disparities in aging
· Interdisciplinary and theoretical perspectives on aging in place and space
· Methodological innovations in measuring place, mobility, and exposures
· Technology and digital tools supporting aging in diverse environments
· Policy and planning implications for healthy aging and cognitive equity
We encourage submissions employing a range of methodologies (qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, spatial analysis) and drawing from disciplines such as public health, social science, urban planning, epidemiology, and beyond. Empirical, theoretical, and methodological contributions are welcome.
Manuscript submission information:
Manuscripts should be submitted via the Health & Place Editorial Manager system and selecting the article type "VSI: Aging in Space."
The Special Issue is currently open for submissions.
· Final Manuscript Submission Deadline: September 1, 2025
· Editorial Acceptance Deadline: December 1, 2025