Abstract
The growing numbers of people living with dementia and a progressive trend toward age friendliness in urban neighborhoods raises the issue of how dementia is perceived in the public domain. This paper critically addresses competing narratives on dementia arising from professions and from the growing voices of consumers and dementia activists in Australia. The interconnection between narratives, public perceptions and public interventions will, it is argued have implications for policy, the co-creation of community and future conceptions of citizenship. Empirical material from Australia consequently addresses global discussion and potential relation between dementia / age friendliness.