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How can Boston become a more age-friendly city? If you’re a Boston resident, we’re sure you have some thoughtful answers to this query and perhaps some ideas of your own. In fact, AARP—along with the office of Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the UMass Boston Gerontology Institute—would like to invite you to share those thoughts and ideas with us!
To do so, you’re cordially invited to attend one of a series of upcoming Age-Friendly Boston Listening Sessions that are being held throughout the city. The first three sessions, which are in May, are scheduled at locations in the West End/Beacon Hill, Hyde Park, and AARP MA offices. But, please refer back to this space often, since we’ll be updating this article with new Listening Session dates and locations and dates as they are scheduled.
Age-Friendly Boston is an initiative of the Mayor Martin J. Walsh administration,
in partnership with AARP and UMass Boston Gerontology Institute.
At each Listening Session, AARP, the Mayor’s office, and the UMass Boston Gerontology Institute want to hear suggestions and ideas from city residents about factors that contribute to an environment in which older adults can continue to lead healthy, productive, and happy lives. Additionally, what factors make one city better to live in than another? And what factors of Boston life need improvement, modification, or perhaps even removal?
The Age-Friendly philosophy is closely aligned with my vision for Boston. The guiding principle focuses on designing livable communities that promote good health, strong civic participation, and clear communication. That means safe, walkable streets; offering better housing and transportation options; improving access to key services; and providing opportunities to be socially engaged. "It means sustaining economic growth and enabling happier, healthier residents. In other words, an Age-Friendly city is a thriving and inclusive city for all.” — Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh
Choose a Listening Session below!
The Listening Sessions will also provide information about how you can get involved in the Age-Friendly Boston project. Creating a more age-friendly Boston challenges the city’s businesses, cultural, educational, and religious institutions, community groups, and municipal agencies, in terms of becoming involved and making changes to increase the quality of life for residents 50+.
According to the Mayor’s office, key areas for consideration include outdoor spaces, buildings, housing, and transportation; health services; community support; and the effectiveness of communications from the Mayor’s office. The office also wants to identify opportunities for volunteering and employment throughout the city’s civic, social, and cultural arenas.
Read more about Mayor Walsh’s commitment to the project at the city’s Age-Friendly Boston blog, and read the Mayor’s own words in this interview in The Journal 2015, published by AARP International.
Meanwhile, don’t hesitate at this opportunity to define the age-friendly ways you’d like to see Boston change and grow; call or email today and RSVP for one of the scheduled Listening Sessions (and check this space often for updates as new Listening Session dates and locations are added).
East Boston Listening Session
DATE: Thursday, June 18, 2015
WHERE: Boston Public Library–East Boston Branch, 365 Bremen St., Boston, MA 02128
WHEN: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
RSVP: Call or email Andrea Burns in the Mayor’s office, at 617-635-4877 or andrea.burns@boston.gov.
Mattapan Listening Session
DATE: Thursday, July 23
WHERE: Mattapan Public Library, 1350 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan, MA 02126
WHEN: 5:30-7 p.m.
RSVP: Call or email Andrea Burns in the Mayor’s office, at 617-635-4877 or andrea.burns@boston.gov.
Jamaica Plain Listening Session
DATE: Wednesday, July 15
WHERE: Curtis Hall Community Room, 20 South St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
WHEN: 2:30-4 p.m.
RSVP: Call or email Andrea Burns in the Mayor’s office, at 617-635-4877 or andrea.burns@boston.gov.
*Note: The AARP MA office is located in a secure building. Once you’ve RSVP’d, your name will be entered with security staff, but you will need to provide a photo ID upon arrival.
Visit www.aarp.org/livable to learn more about the AARP and World Health Organization Age-Friendly network, of which Boston is a member, and to see all the resources available to communities across the country.
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