Matthews, NC, joins the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities

MATTHEWS, NC -- By the year 2030, one-out-of every five people in the United States will be 65 plus. One community in North Carolina is working to stay in front of the demographic change. The Town of Matthews is planning for its future by taking the steps needed to make it a great place for older adults and residents of all ages.

Today Matthews became the first municipality in North Carolina to apply for the World Health Organization’s status of “age friendly,” by joining AARP’s network of age friendly communities.

The AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities helps participating communities become great places for all ages by adopting such features as safe, walkable streets, better housing and transportation options, access to key services, and opportunities for residents to participate in community activities.

Matthews Mayor Jim Taylor said, “Well-designed, livable communities promote health and sustain economic growth, and they make for happier, healthier residents — of all ages.”

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory recognized this important effort and said, “I want to congratulate the Town of Matthews for taking the lead in applying to become the first ‘Certified Age Friendly Community’ in North Carolina,” said Governor Pat McCrory.  “Our state is a great place to retire, and I hope this recognition from the AARP will be the first of many across North Carolina as more and more people look for a community that has a quality of life and something for everyone, regardless of age.”

Through a proclamation read at its Board of Commissioners meeting, the Town of Matthews declared its commitment to a continual cycle of improvement in the eight domains the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as influencing the health and quality of life of older adults:

1. Outdoor spaces and buildings
2. Transportation
3. Housing
4. Social participation
5. Respect and social inclusion
6. Civic participation and employment
7. Communication and information
8. Community support and health services

Mayor Taylor explains, “A successful age-friendly initiative is based on collaboration. We are seeking a broad group of stakeholders from non-profit organizations, businesses, government agencies, community partners and, of course age-50+ residents. We will work together to assess our needs and to identify both short and long-term priorities.”

AARP State President Robert Palombo said, “Although Matthews is the state’s first, we certainly hope it is not the last North Carolina city to work to become more age-friendly. Joining a global network of communities that are committed to giving their older residents the opportunity to live rewarding, productive and safe lives has tremendous social and economic benefits for all.”

The AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities is an affiliate of the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Program, an international effort launched in 2006 to help cities prepare for rapid population aging and the parallel trend of urbanization. The program has participating communities in more than 20 nations, as well as 10 affiliates representing more than 1,000 communities.

In the U.S., more than three dozen communities representing more than a dozen states are enrolled in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. ( The Member List.)