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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1520834

Aging and Urban Innovation: A Human Capital Perspective

Provisionally accepted
Jinghang Cui Jinghang Cui 1,2*Jason Crandall Jason Crandall 1,2Mingxuan Cui Mingxuan Cui 3Ruirui Bai Ruirui Bai 1,2Yi Jia Yi Jia 1*
  • 1 School of Sport and Physical Education, North University of China, Taiyuan, China
  • 2 Center for Applied Science in Health and Aging, Bowling Green, United States
  • 3 Department of Cognitive Studies, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: With population aging, this demographic dividend diminishes, which may have implications for innovation in a region. Understanding the relationship between population aging and innovation is crucial for addressing economic challenges associated with an aging population.Methods: This study utilized panel data on population aging and innovation from 252 cities between 2005 and 2014. Various estimation methods, including the fixed effects model, the generalized method of moments (GMM), and the mediation model, were used to analyze the data. These methods allowed for a comprehensive examination of the impact of population aging on innovation and the role of human capital in mediating this relationship.Results: The findings of the study indicate that both the 60-year-old and 65-year-old population significantly hinder innovation. The GMM suggests that innovation is "path dependent," meaning that past levels of innovation do not alleviate the negative effects of population aging on future innovation. Additionally, the mediation model analysis demonstrates that human capital plays a crucial role in mediating the relationship between population aging and innovation, highlighting the importance of investing in human capital development.Conclusions: The findings of this research highlight the obstacles that population aging presents to fostering innovation. Overcoming these obstacles necessitates strategic investments in human capital and policies that support innovation. It is imperative for policymakers to implement recommendations that address population aging and encourage innovation in order to navigate the challenges posed by an aging population and promote a vibrant and dynamic economy.

    Keywords: population aging1, urban innovation2, the generalized method of moments (GMM)3, human capital4, Population Aging and Urban Innovation

    Received: 31 Oct 2024; Accepted: 30 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Cui, Crandall, Cui, Bai and Jia. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Jinghang Cui, School of Sport and Physical Education, North University of China, Taiyuan, China
    Yi Jia, School of Sport and Physical Education, North University of China, Taiyuan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.