What makes a city "Age-Friendly"?

The World Health Organization (WHO), which kicked off its Age-Friendly Cities Programme in 2006 with 33 cities in 22 countries and affiliated with AARP last year to establish an AARP Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, has identified eight domains of civic life. These are the areas that influence the health and quality of life for individuals in a city, all of whom are aging.  They are:

 

• Housing
• Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
• Transportation
• Community and Health Services
• Civic Participation and Employment
• Communication and Information
• Social Participation
• Respect or Social Inclusion

 

 Each of these domains is critical to active living and thus active aging - how we move about, where we call home, how we communicate with others, and what we do with our time.  Together, they provide a comprehensive picture of the policies and programs that a city provides to enable persons to live and thrive.  And it is the responsibility of every city and community striving to become an Age-Friendly City, including the District of Columbia, to examine each of these domains closely.

Over the next four months, AARP DC will take a focused look at each of these domains. One-by-one we will peel back the domain to better understand what it means, how the District currently supports the domain, and begin to think about what changes need to occur in order for the District to become an Age-friendly City.

We want to hear from all District residents.  So, please be sure to let us know what you want to see under each domain.  You can begin by filling out a short survey at https://www.research.net/s/AFCDC  and by checking out our Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/aarpdc) and commenting on the daily posts on specific domains.