It seems to me that the mark of any human is to create something lasting. Whether in the form of the physical, the abstract, and even through our children, people are always leaving something behind. As I sat in class and listened to past Life Course Scholars share about what they did for their Healthy Aging Projects, I could see this trend at play.
Some students had designed intergenerational walks, initiated wellness centers, and coordinated events that acknowledged and celebrated the decades that have passed. Even as some of my fellow classmates pitched possible HAP ideas (open mic night, a planting session, arts & crafts), I could see that we were all were running towards the same goal—fostering a conduit for reflection and remembrance. It only makes sense that we’re trying to preserve what people—especially elders—have created and experienced. In doing so, we are honoring their memories while also learning more about their stories and potentially, taking them to heart.
In fact, one of our upcoming assignments, the Neighborhood Assessment Project, is designed to determine how age-friendly cities are. By scoping out the demographics, the constraints of the built environment, and the overall feelings of the neighborhood, we are trying to see how we can create places that can persist through time while addressing the needs of everyone. As of right now, about 11.5% of the global population is people over 60, but by 2050, seniors will constitute 1/5 of the world’s population. We need to be ready for this generation; we need to be ready to accommodate these individuals as our actions will most likely set a precedent to how planning and policies will be approached.
Just as people naturally leave their mark, we as thinkers, visionaries, politicians, planners, and artists should be naturally inclined to craft unique places that not only fit the needs of the people, but ones that can also endure and stand the test of time.
Some students had designed intergenerational walks, initiated wellness centers, and coordinated events that acknowledged and celebrated the decades that have passed. Even as some of my fellow classmates pitched possible HAP ideas (open mic night, a planting session, arts & crafts), I could see that we were all were running towards the same goal—fostering a conduit for reflection and remembrance. It only makes sense that we’re trying to preserve what people—especially elders—have created and experienced. In doing so, we are honoring their memories while also learning more about their stories and potentially, taking them to heart.
In fact, one of our upcoming assignments, the Neighborhood Assessment Project, is designed to determine how age-friendly cities are. By scoping out the demographics, the constraints of the built environment, and the overall feelings of the neighborhood, we are trying to see how we can create places that can persist through time while addressing the needs of everyone. As of right now, about 11.5% of the global population is people over 60, but by 2050, seniors will constitute 1/5 of the world’s population. We need to be ready for this generation; we need to be ready to accommodate these individuals as our actions will most likely set a precedent to how planning and policies will be approached.
Just as people naturally leave their mark, we as thinkers, visionaries, politicians, planners, and artists should be naturally inclined to craft unique places that not only fit the needs of the people, but ones that can also endure and stand the test of time.