The City of San Diego is asking for input from residents 50 and older via community listening sessions to identify specific priorities that will help make San Diego an age-friendly community for all. The City is partnering with The San Diego Foundation, San Diego State University Social Policy Institute and AARP as part of the Age Friendly San Diego initiative to gather more information that will help direct future planning and increase livability citywide.
Community listening sessions will be held Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the George L. Stevens Senior Community Center from 1:30-3 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 20 at the La Jolla Community Center from noon-1:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided and registration is encouraged by contacting Marla Davis at 619-525-8247 or [email protected].
“We’ve received a tremendous response from the community through our online survey, and we hope to gather even more feedback with these citywide listening sessions,” said Andy Field, director of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. “We want to hear from our older residents about what steps we can take to make our neighborhoods welcoming to people of all ages.”
The Age Friendly San Diego initiative is spearheaded by the City’s AgeWell Services program as part of the Parks and Recreation Department. The initiative commenced in November 2019 with the release of a citywide survey designed to seek input from older residents across eight topics: Outdoor Spaces and Public Places, Transportation, Housing, Social Participation, Respect and Social Inclusion, Work and Civic Engagement, Communications and Information and Community and Health Services. To date, more than 1,900 residents responded to the survey and the upcoming listening sessions are designed to gather additional input from the community. The initiative is part of a broader City effort in concert with the World Health Organization and AARP to designate San Diego as a member of the global network of “Age-Friendly Cities” that embrace healthy aging, civic participation and sustainable economic and social success. The AgeWell Services program also received a $50,000 grant from The San Diego Foundation to provide funding for future programming and materials specifically designed for older residents. The funding will help make recreation centers and other facilities welcoming and engaging to people of all ages, creating vibrant community gathering places. To find out about programs and services the City provides to older residents, please visit www.sandiego.gov/agewell.