What is an Age-friendly Community?

In 2010, the World Health Organization established the Global Network of Age-friendly Communities (GNAFC, or “the Network”) after identifying actions that cities and communities can take to encourage active aging, and therefore be “age-friendly.” They created a set of age-friendly city checklists, and established the Network in order to inspire and support communities to become more age-friendly.   

In 2012, the AARP Network of Age-friendly States and Communities was established as an independent affiliate of the WHO Network. Both WHO and AARP use a framework of livable communities. According to AARP, “A livable community is one that is safe and secure, has affordable and appropriate housing and transportation options, and offers supportive community features and services. Once in place, those resources:

• enhance personal independence; 
• allow residents to remain in their homes and communities as they age; and 
• foster residents' engagement in the community's civic, economic, and social life.” 

There are other organizations that have played lead roles in the field of age-friendly work. For instance, the AdvantAge Initiative helps communities “learn about older adults’ perceptions of and experiences in their communities; identify barriers to “aging in place;” and plan for action to make their communities better places to live for older adults and their families. And, the Milken Institute produces “Best Cities for Successful Aging,” in which they evaluate small and large U.S. metropolitan areas to determine how well they serve older adults’ ability to remain productive, secure and healthy.   

In 2016-17, when Buncombe County was developing its current Aging Plan, we selected the WHO/AARP framework, in part because it contains eight “domains of livability” to help communities organize and prioritize the work of becoming more livable for both older residents and people of all ages.  

These 8 Domains include: Housing, Transportation, Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Respect and Social Inclusion, Social Participation, Health Services and Community Supports, Communication and Information, and Civic Participation and Employment. 

To date, there are over 500 communities enrolled nationwide, including Buncombe County. Colorado, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enrolled as state or territory members.  

Communities such as ours, that join the Network, commit to embarking on a continuous process of improvement. This begins with an assessment and the development of an action plan. The action plan is implemented, evaluated and updated.   

For reasons we won’t get into here, Buncombe County’s Action Plan associated with our membership in the Network, is specifically focused on Housing Options for Aging in Place. To learn more about how and why that is, please read our Action Plan Report. This plan is embedded into our larger Aging Plan, which is currently being updated for 2021-22.   

For an excellent example of Age-friendly work in our community, check out this Asheville Citizen-Times article about Age-friendly Buncombe partner Dementia Friendly WNC working with Asheville Rides Transit (ART) to educate their bus drivers on how to understand, interact with, and assist people living with dementia who use city bus services.   

Want to know more about the age-friendly work going on in Buncombe County? Follow us by email to receive regular blog updates and continue learning about Age-friendly Buncombe and all we are doing!