LONDON (June 4) – Is the Forest City seen by people over the age of 60 as being a welcoming place in which one can get around fairly easily, is relatively safe, has good facilities and a wide range of things to do?

Yes, according to a report by the Age Friendly City working group released yesterday.

“As a place for seniors, London gets high marks from outside assessments, usually listed high among the top 10 cities in North America for retirement,” says the report written by a task force headed by Controller Gina Barber.

“Affordability, safety, amenities, entertainment venues, access to high quality health care, ease of transportation, location, even reasonably moderate weather are all selling points. But the real test is what do London’s elderly, its seniors and older adults, its boomers and zoomers, think about London.

“Senior Londoners, with few exceptions, think London is a great place to live. They love it for its high quality, accessible health care. They love its heritage buildings, its parks and pathways, its seniors centres, its robust arts and culture, its restaurants and libraries, its diverse established neighbourhoods, its university and colleges. They like its size and location. They like its low crime rates.”

However, as is often the case with reports of this nature, there follows a ‘but’. Seniors, says the report, want more. Such as:

“They want to be actively engaged in the community, not put out to pasture.

“They want choices in housing that connect them to the community and its amenities
and services.

“They want clean, attractive public spaces that allow them to be active, but still provide a place to rest.

“They want some alternatives in transportation, sidewalks and pathways that can be used year round, traffic lights that don’t switch to yellow the moment they step off the curb.

“They want the opportunity to connect with all age groups, but they need to be able to live and congregate among themselves in seniors’ buildings and seniors’ centres.

“They want to be able to stay connected with family members, but not be dependent
upon them.

“They want to be respected and included in the community.

“They don’t want to stand in long line-ups or walk for miles to locate an item in a grocery store.

“They want to remain physically and mentally active.

“They want access to programs and facilities that allow them to do that.”

Which is quite a shopping list. Not to pick on seniors – I’m one of them after all – just about any demographic group could come up with a list of things about London they’d like improved. But seniors are perhaps more likely to get what they want for a couple of reasons: It’s hard to say no to granny, as Prime Minister Brian Mulroney once discovered; and seniors are the city’s fastest growing demographic group as those numerous and noisy Baby Boomers come of age.

Mrs. Barber and her group have certainly produced a thoughtful and stimulating study that should spark considerable debate, particularly because giving seniors what they want has significant ramifications.

Two issues at least pop out:
* Seniors like London because of its size, a hint they don’t want it to grow any bigger. But we’ve come to associate population growth with job creation and property tax stability, not to mention the popular amenities cities of a certain size command. Is a realistic to expect one without the other?
* Seniors love city services such as transit  and sidewalks and parks and recreation. They want more. Will meeting this desire mean shifting a disproportionate share of city finances and resources their way? And, if so, how do the rest of Londoners feel about that?

In response, the report does make one very legitimate point: “The benefits of an age friendly city extend far beyond the senior population. Smooth, well maintained sidewalks encourage walking by old and young alike as well as people with disabilities and parents with strollers. Women and children have greater freedom in safe, secure neighbourhoods. Consistent high quality care for those who require it at all ages reduces stress for family caregivers. The employment and volunteer services provided by and to an aging population unites and benefits the whole community. The patronage of business and the arts benefits a whole economy. By being friendly to seniors, we are being friendly to people of all ages.”

WANT MORE INFO?
* You can find a copy of the Age Friendly City working group report here.