01588048

Component

Two global phenomena – urbanization and aging populations – have contributed to the growing interest in age-friendly cities. The popularity of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Age-friendly Cities and Communities initiative reflects this trend. Since its inception in 2007, 258 communities across 28 countries have committed to the WHO process and begun taking the necessary steps to achieve formal designation as “age-friendly.” The District of Columbia joined this club in 2012, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote active and healthy aging. This paper describes the District of Columbia’s efforts thus far and the role the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has played in the process. It explains how this new emphasis on age-friendliness complements existing plans and programs already underway at DDOT, and examines the challenges and opportunities facing the agency as it moves towards plan implementation. It concludes with a number of lessons learned that may be useful to other state or municipal transportation departments approached to take part in the age-friendly designation process or otherwise interested in incorporating age-friendly practices into their operations.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANB60 Standing Committee on Safe Mobility of Older Persons.

01584066

16-1580

English

17p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Aged; Cities; Mobility; Transportation planning; Urbanization

District Department of Transportation

Age friendly

Washington (District of Columbia)

Planning and Forecasting; Society; Transportation (General); I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-1580

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 4:41PM