AARP, City of Atlanta, PEDS Partner to Evaluate Neighborhood Walkability

AARP Georgia, The City of Atlanta, Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services, and PEDS – metro Atlanta’s pedestrian advocacy organization are partnering to host a Summerhill Neighborhood Walk Audit, May 28, 9am-1pm, Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center, 3 ^rd Floor, 250 Georgia Avenue, Atlanta.  Participants will look at the Georgia Avenue Corridor and evaluate opportunities for improving neighborhood walkability and connectivity for all ages to become a more Age-Friendly/Livable Community.

Established by the World Health Organization, an AARP Age-Friendly Community is designed to establish an inclusive and accessible environment that encourages active and healthy aging for all ages.  It also proactively focuses on those elements of communities that enhance independent living with a goal of having older citizens take a more active role in their communities.

“Walkability and accessibility to services are essential to sustaining independence and fostering a healthy lifestyle in the neighborhoods we contribute to everyday,” says Charima Young, AARP Associate State Director-Community Outreach. “Assessing and investing in this infrastructure will only cultivate stronger bonds within our communities and allow all residents to age in place, and that’s what Age-Friendly Communities is all about.”

To register, visit:  https://aarp.cvent.com/Agefriendlyatlantalivablecommunitieswalkabilityaudb or call 1-877-926-8300.

Partnering to Support Age-Friendly Living

AARP Georgia and the City of Atlanta are taking action to accommodate the changing needs of older residents to ensure that their communities will remain attractive places to live, with features that benefit seniors and support the health, safety, and participation of residents of all ages.

Supporting communities to become age-friendly is one of the ways AARP is working to ensure that more communities are healthy, thriving places for families to live, work, learn, and play. In an Age-Friendly Community, policies, services, settings, and structures enable older people to age actively by:

• anticipating and responding flexibly to aging-related needs and preferences
• recognizing the wide range of capacities and resources among older adults
• respecting decisions and lifestyle choices
• protecting those who are most vulnerable
• and promoting inclusion and contributions in all areas of community life