Suchergebnisse

Ageing and urbanization are among the most transformative demographic dynamics of the 21st century. In order to ensure that urban environments are responsive to the needs of residents across their life course, the World Health Organization (WHO) promotes the creation of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. During 2012–2015, WHO conducted research to develop a set of core indicators of age-friendliness which measure the physical and social environment, quality of life, and equity. As part of this project, a study was conducted to measure these indicators in 15 communities worldwide. Washington, DC was one of the test sites. Some of the key findings from the indicator assessment, which was led by Age-Friendly DC staff with the cooperation of the Mayor-appointed Task Force and several government agencies, were that when inequities could be analysed there were profound differences across race and income. Importantly, this focus on equity revealed the need for more disaggregated data by age and geography at the local level. Subsequently, the WHO core indicators informed the development of the Age-Friendly DC Livability Survey, which was conducted in 2016 to track progress in implementing the Age-Friendly DC Strategic Plan. The survey found that progress was being made in home internet access while improvement is still necessary in the wheelchair accessibility of homes. The Age-Friendly DC initiative is exemplary of how the outcomes of the global project to develop metrics for age-friendliness were translated into local strategic plans and actions to create an age-friendly urban environment in the nation's capital.