Five Innovative Ways Cities Are Improving Life for Older Adults

Officials of approximately 350 public bodies, ranging from states to towns, have committed to enhancing life for seniors in terms of housing, outdoor spaces, recreation, transportation, social participation, and other needs as part of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, reports the Wall Street Journal . The effort has partial support from the World Health Organization. Cities also are beginning to understand that the benefits of age-friendly planning are not restricted to seniors. One approach, which the District of Columbia and other localities have implemented, is housing for grandparents and their grandchildren who live on fixed incomes. Another option enacted in Oklahoma and Kansas involves preschoolers attending public school in classrooms inside senior care communities. Meanwhile, cities in Ohio and elsewhere are designing parks for seniors, while Denver is developing a senior-oriented online trip planner to make public transit more flexible.