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For Immediate Release Contact: Ed Van HerikAug. 8, 2012 (404) 431-1798

ed@vanherikcommunications.com

Macon-Bibb First U.S. Community Officially Named

Age-Friendly by AARP

Macon and Bibb County Join National Network of Communities Pledged to Make Services and

Neighborhoods More User-Friendly for People age 50 and Older

MACON - Macon-Bibb County today became the first American community to join an eliteworldwide network of age-friendly communities. In presenting Macon-Bibb County with itsmembership certificate in theAARP Network of Age-Friendly Communitiestoday, AARP Georgiaacknowledged Macon-Bibbs commitment and its multi-year plan to become more accessible,convenient and, ultimately, more user-friendly for older Americans.

As Macon-Bibbs boomer population ages, the areas businesses and services are affected alongwith the residents, said Karen Cooper, associate state director of outreach for AARP Georgia.But if we understand and plan to address the needs and opportunities presented by an agingpopulation, we can improve Macon-Bibbs services, business climate and infrastructure foreveryone.

Macon-Bibb County becomes the first AARP Age-Friendly Community in the U.S. Six others areexpected to follow soon: Westchester County, NY; New York City; Des Moines; Philadelphia;Bowling Green, KY; and Portland, OR.

We are striving to build a sustainable community in Macon, and that includes creating programsand looking at development and infrastructure that promote a walkable, livable, multimodal, andgreen lifestyle, says Macon Mayor Robert Reichert. The work that we do as an Age-FriendlyCommunity will benefit our older population, as well as a younger generation that is becomingmore and more interested in living in an area where they can walk or bike wherever they need togo.

Bibb County Commission Chairman Samuel F. Hart, Sr. concurred. We are united in our efforts tomove our community forward, and being designated as an Age-Friendly Community is a sign that

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we are moving in the right direction. Responding to demographic aging is an effective policyapproach that is beneficial to people of all ages, and we are thrilled to partner with AARP in thisimportant work.

Macon-Bibb County is already an appealing place to live, said Cooper, and this new commitmentwill make it a more vibrant community for everyone, including older residents.

On becoming a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, a community s firststep in the planning process is to establish an advisory citizens committee to identify the needs ofolder adults within the community. For Macon-Bibb, AARP will also immediately conduct aworkshop to identify potential age-friendly infrastructure improvements in the Tattnall Squareneighborhood. The workshop, which will be led by Dan Burden, co-founder and executive directorof the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, will be held Thursday.

Macon-Bibb Countys engagement in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities will alsoqualify it as a member of the World Health Organization Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities andCommunities. This membership makes a variety of successful age-friendly strategies, planningtools and other resources available to Macon-Bibb.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people 50+ haveindependence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society asa whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to eitherpolitical campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+

Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with nearly 35 million readers; AARPBulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA,our bilingual multimedia platform for Hispanic members; and our website,AARP.org. AARPFoundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to olderpersons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We havestaffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

AARP serves nearly 1 million members in Georgia from its state office in Atlanta.

http://aarp.org/http://aarp.org/http://aarp.org/http://aarp.org/