On October 28, 2019, Mayor Buddy Dyer announced that the City of Orlando had received certification as a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.
Membership does not mean AARP endorses Orlando as a place to live. Nor does it mean Orlando is currently "age-friendly." What membership does means is that Orlando's elected leadership has "made the commitment to actively work toward making (Orlando) a great place to live for people of all ages."
Rather than the culmination of a process, it marked the beginning of a 2-year planning process. With the guidance of the Mayor's Committee on Livability and Healthy Aging, the City will develop Orlando's first Age-Friendly Action Plan.
The community engagement, assessment, and planning process will delve into 8 Domains of Livability including the built environment (outdoor spaces & buildings, transportation, housing) and the social environment (social participation, respect & social inclusion, civic participation & employment, communication & information, as well as community & health services), all with a special focus on seniors.
On January 28th, Rethinking the City (Facebook) is assembling an informational meeting (Facebook Event Page) about the project. It will take place 6:30pm-8:00pm at Credo Conduit (Website) at 1001 North Orange Ave., Orlando, Florida 32801 (MAP).
Paul Lewis, FAICP, Orlando's Chief Planning Manager, will provide an overview of the initiative, including an update on the age-friendly livability survey currently being conducted as part of the assessment.
In the meantime, the City is engaging the community through a comprehensive survey. They're looking to hear from residents aged 45+ on what recommendations and improvements they would like to see in order to make the city more age-friendly. Take the Survey.
Rethinking the City (RTC) is an independently organized event dedicated to building a dialogue within the Orlando community and with changemakers around the world about the forces that shape cities and how we can participate in positive change in our own city through arts, engagement, service, and enterprise.
