Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh brings people of all ages together to rethink how our neighborhoods are built and to take action to make them more inclusive and respectful of every generation. Read the Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh Action Plan »
From the laws that impact building codes to the training we need to secure the jobs we want to how we’re treated on the bus, there is work to do as our region’s age demographics shift and we’re presented with a new opportunity.
In the next two decades, the number of residents ages 65 and older will increase by 40 percent in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Meeting the needs of an older population certainly comes with challenges, but as more of our residents live longer lives, it means our region has a new, growing resource—people with buying power, career expertise, lived experience, and diverse skills and interests. The time is now to tap into this resource by coming together and ensuring continued opportunities for all.
In September 2015, thanks to work by SWPPA members and partners, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, kicking off a five-year planning, implementation and evaluation cycle. Our AARP network is part of the World Health Organization’s international initiative.
Thanks to generous support from the Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation, we completed the following steps in our first two years:
Convene local leaders — 147 unique stakeholders from 84 organizations attended at least one Age-Friendly Champions or work group session.
Mobilize neighbors — More than 90 residents participated in seven Aging Your Way workshops and one summit.
Collect data — 500 people ages 50+ responded to AARP’s Livability for All in Pittsburgh & Allegheny County Community Survey.
Evaluate — University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health evaluated Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh’s progress.
Gather feedback — 39 participants completed a web-based survey and nearly 100 individuals attended four public input sessions.
Additionally, we’ve engaged creative partners locally and nationally — including 2016 MacArthur Fellow Anne Basting, PhD — to help us define age inclusivity in a way that’s unique to our region. Since 2016, we’ve co-produced five performances of The Crossings, pop-up performances using creativity and humor to increase pedestrian safety and raise awareness among people of all ages. Future productions are in the works.
Interested in getting involved? Contact Laura.
“Age-friendly action plan focuses on inclusion of older adults in community life,” by Lauren Rosenblatt | Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
“What’s New in Aging: An update on the Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh initiative,” by Gary Rotstein | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“How This Big City Is Becoming Age-Friendly,” by Laura Poskin | Next Avenue
“How seniors in Allegheny County combat social isolation,” by Martha Rial | Public Source
“To build an inclusive smart city, look through an age-friendly lens,” by Katie Pyzyk | Smart Cities Dive
“Growing Older — and Designing Smarter,” by Laura Poskin | American Planning Association
“Age-Friendly Pittsburgh: Action plan aims to make this a better place to grow old,” by Gary Rotstein | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“As Pittsburgh’s Population Ages, A Push To Make The City More Senior-Friendly,” by Kathleen J. Davis | WESA
“Age-Friendly Program Aims to Build Generational Inclusiveness,” by Neil Strebig | Northside Chronicle
“‘Crossings: Bloomfield’ advocates for safe crosswalks,” by Andrew McKeon | Bloomfield-Garfield Bulletin
“Playing our way to safety,” by Shayna Gleason | Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative
