Planning for Our Aging Population

Glenn Miller, FCIP, RPPMonday,

December 1, 2014

Planning for Our Aging Population

• Why we need to pay attention to aging• Planners and others responsible for built environment

slow to adapt to demographic shift• Can urban strategies work for rural areas?

Why We Need to Pay Attention to Aging

Why Focus on Aging: the Changing Demographic Reality

1961 1 Canadian in 14 is 65+

1927 Old Age Security1957 Registered Retirement Savings Plans1965 Canada Pension Plan1967 Guaranteed Income Supplement

Understanding the Demographic Shift

2041 1 Canadian in 4 is 65+

Physical, social & fiscal impacts

By 2041– More seniors than school age

children– More seniors than people of

working age– Dependency ratio will be 2:1– Low growth or decline in rural

communities

Source: “Canada’s Aging Population” by Health Canada and the Interdepartmental Committee on Aging and Seniors Issues, 2002

Percentage of seniors in 2036•21.3%in the GTA •30.5% in the Northeast•43.8% in Prince Edward

Ontario Ministry of Finance 2014

•How rural is rural?•Metropolitan Influence Zones – relocation of urbanites•“Pure” rural communities see out- migration of youth •Low growth rural economy strains municipal fiscal capacity to enhance ACT resources

Planners and others responsible for built environment slow to adapt to demographic shift

Why Planners Have Been Slow to Embrace “Age-Friendly Communities”

WHO Global Age Friendly Cities, A Guide (2005)

Outdoor spaces and buildingsTransportationHousingSocial ParticipationRespect and Social InclusionCivic Participation and EmploymentCommunity and Health Services

Scale and Focus of AFC Unclear

•Competes for resources with other mainstream models•Difficult to integrate into policy & development control processes•Specific role for municipal departments unclear•Focuses on today, not adapting for tomorrow

Can Strategies Developed for Cities Work in Rural

Communities?

The Mobility Continuum

Defining mobility“The freedom to move is life itself” - L. Ling Suen

• The ability to travel where and when we want• Having enough information about our travel options• Knowing how to use those options• Having the means to pay for those options • Living in an environment that offers choices throughout the lifecourse

Reasons & Means to be Mobile

Friends & FamilyWorkplaceShoppingPlaces of WorshipHealthcareBankingRecreationEntertainment

Factors Driving the Decision to Relocate

DRIVERS PUSH PULL

PHYSICAL Declining health/mobility Empty nester

ECONOMIC Reduced income Right sizing

SOCIAL Single householder Carefree lifestyle

LOCATION Isolated…no longer viable Attractive alternative

The Five As applied to housing

• Availability: a range of options• Accessibility: close to services and amenities• Acceptability: safe, comfortable, pleasant• Affordability: goes without saying• Adaptability: accepts walkers, wheelchairs,

mobility scooters, or guide animals.

• Aging in place in one’s home – risk of isolation, lack of access to amenities, or….

• Municipalities can encourage redevelopment of key sites to provide options for younger seniors to transition from SFD to apartments

Aging in Place – in the Neighourhood

Can suburbs be successfully retrofitted?

Aging in a familiar place?

Successful Aging in Rural Communities Will Need Strategic Interventions

“Design for the young and you exclude the old. Design for the old and you include everyone.” Bernard Isaacs

gmiller@canurb.org