Since the end of World War II, one of the biggest agents of social change was generating "Boomer", those born in the years after the war which, thanks to an increase in birth rates in those years a disproportionate share of the population. But as this group ages, what will be their effect on our cities be? In this article, first published by Metropolis Magazine as "How Baby Boomers will shape the future of our cities" principle CannonDesign Peter Ellis describes what will in the places where they live as they age his generation.
I am an architect and designer of cities. I am also among the Boomer generation, 65 plus population who, because of our increasing numbers, is creating a giant bubble at the top end cards of the population.
We are not, however, aging as the generations that preceded us. "We will be able to give many people an extra decade of healthy, based on what we are able to do in the laboratory now," said Brian Kennedy, president and CEO of the Buck Institute for research on aging in Novato, California. the main triggers for most diseases can be controlled, which allows people to remain productive well into their eighties, nineties, and beyond .
How this "revolution" in the impact of human longevity our cities? Unlike our parents, baby boomers are not moved to retirement communities, preferring instead stay as long as they are able in their cities the neighborhoods where they can continue to lead active lives.
the quality of our life depends, of course, more than the last advances in biomedical research. We now understand that our physical environment and our behavior are the cause of many of our chronic diseases. This growing awareness underscores our demand for sustainable communities that support a healthy and active lifestyle. My generation wants to stay physically active, and therefore gravitates walkable neighborhoods with a wide range of equipment connected by a network of pedestrian and bicycle paths.
The design of my cabinet to Jaypee Sports City incorporates many of these strategies. The plan of this completely new city, near New Delhi, India, establishes a network of green corridors that weave high density blocks of low and high buildings. These continuous pedestrian parks moderate the hot and humid climate of the region, preserve the monsoon rains, provide drinking water and to connect all parts of the city and social amenities.
in our existing cities, we are beginning to recover the public domain of the automobile, the bargaining asphalt for streets, green parks and civic space. A city like Portland, which leads the nation in urban greening, now beginning to quantify the impact of environmental policies on the health of its citizens.
If the boomers are to maintain a productive life, our national health system also needs a radical transformation . To reduce medical costs while achieving better results, and to support "aging in place," it is necessary to decentralize the treatment of acute hospitals to outpatient clinics, and community and home care. In collaboration with the Capital District health Authority in Halifax, Nova Scotia, we have created a plan to change the centralized health system of the city to focus vicinity care. wellbeing of community health centers tailor programs to the people, helping them to make better choices of lifestyle. in addition, the health of the population of each district can be monitored to identify and manage chronic diseases. the design and the medical professions are now beginning to understand that the design its infrastructure, the social facilities, parks-health impact of its population well beyond the four walls of a community hospital buildings ,.
We must also take into account that many of the Boomer generation will not have enough retirement savings to ensure a comfortable and dignified old age. On the positive side, more seniors remain in the workforce and contribute to our economy as a whole. This is an opportunity for innovative business models that offer products and services to home care more affordable and compassionate Boomer market, for example.
But then we could develop services and amenities that make us more dynamic and attractive communities, many citizens may not be able to participate, because of their health, advanced age, or financial stress. This will place negative pressure on revenue of town, revenues from property taxes and the cost of health and social services. It will take the best of our character to overcome this stress on our communities. We need to address the structure and responsibilities of our institutions, our neighborhoods, our families, and us as individuals in a social contract. Many difficult choices must be made.
My generation is not alone in our desire for a stimulating urban environment, but are joined by young millennium that move our cities ever more. In fact, we seek many of the same qualities of urban life. Taken together, the millennium and Boomer generations generally comprise half the population of a typical city. United, we will be a powerful force for change. Enlightened developers and community leaders recognize that both young professionals and older people are attracted to areas that promote multigenerational commitment. This is in fact the city at its best, the spice that makes life worth living. I would imagine that there will be a choir increasingly for deep change to bring our city closer to the vision of Jane Jacobs ideal urban neighborhood. Hopefully we are active participants are not in the "life and death" of our big cities, but in their resurrection.
Peter Ellis , FAIA leads the practice of urban design CannonDesign, with projects in Dubai, China, Germany and the United States.
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