Dr Agnieszka Labus is an Assistant Professor at the Silesian University of Technology, founder and President of the LAB 60+ Foundation, and an expert member of the Polish government’s Council for Senior Policy. A pioneer of longevity architecture in Poland, she conducts research into a new model of cities designed to support longevity. Combining research with practice, she advises local authorities and investors on designing inclusive spaces that respond to demographic challenges. She is the author of more than 120 academic publications and the innovative Longevity Cities Index, which assesses how well locations are prepared to support longevity. The index serves as a diagnostic and evaluation tool for analysing and designing spaces capable of addressing the challenges of an ageing society. She is currently developing and testing the index through a pilot programme in collaboration with local authorities and technology and business partners, with the aim of implementing Poland’s first urban areas designed to support healthy, longer lives.
She has gained experience at universities abroad, including UC Berkeley, the University of Westminster, the Technical University of Madrid and the University of Edinburgh. She is the first architect to receive the “Polityka” Science Award and has also been a laureate of the TOP500 Innovators programme, the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education scholarship for outstanding young researchers, and the Foundation for Polish Science’s START programme. She believes that longevity is like a journey around the world: it requires a well-considered strategy, an appropriate budget and a well-designed place to live.