When Cities Take the Lead on Longevity
By Michael Hodin
Over a decade ago, the WHO launched a visionary idea: what if there was a global network of cities sharing lessons on how to achieve healthy, prosperous aging?
The 3rd World Congress of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities in San Sebastian, Spain showed us just how far that idea has come. The network now includes more than 1,700 cities across 60 countries. The first members from India and Africa joined this year. The network features everything from global hubs like Sao Paolo and Singapore, to smaller communities like tiny Pescueza, Spain, home to just 150 people but an inspiration in that no older resident has had to leave the community for care in 15 years.
With such reach and diversity, it’s remarkable that many of the same themes have emerged worldwide, as cities take the lead on healthy longevity to unlock the Silver Economy. San Sebastian gave vivid examples that progress happens on-the-ground, at the local level, in the community, just as much as at multilateral meetings or in the halls of national governments.
Consider Greater Manchester, a longtime leader in the age-friendly movement. The city is pioneering programs to support aging in place, address loneliness, and other innovative models for healthy longevity. This year, they announced the next evolution of their work: a Center of Excellence for Age-Friendly Cities to translate their decade of experience into tools, evidence, and learning for the global network.
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(Consider this, too: in 2017, Mayor Andy Burnham pledged to make Greater Manchester “the best place to grow older.” Today, he seems bound for 10 Downing Street.)
One particular theme emerged from cities finding success: treating older adults as contributors, strategists, and assets, rather than simply beneficiaries of services. Cities from Zapopan in Mexico, to Victoria, Australia shared how they are engaging older community members to design programs with them, rather than for them — yielding better results and building community trust.
Santa Ana, Costa Rica in particular has designed a truly participatory model where older adults sit directly on the municipal councils to vote on the decisions affecting them. And these decisions aren’t just for show; they direct a 1.3 billion colón budget. This is what the Silver Economy looks like when it works. Older populations not as recipients of services, but as the people helping to design them. And communities that are stronger for it.
A top priority for this kind of model should be adult immunization and early detection of NCDs, both leading to preventive health which is increasingly recognized as an essential pillar for healthy aging, through both the direct prevention of hospitalization and the reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, and disruptions to care for chronic conditions like diabetes. Increasing immunization rates should be a healthcare and fiscal priority at every level of government, with national coverage ensuring access and local municipalities, like those in super-aging Japan, spearheading awareness and outreach to make sure older adults understand and receive the wide-reaching benefits.
The World Congress also showed that healthy longevity and the silver economy have truly gone global. By mid-century, 80% of the world’s older adults will live in low- and middle-income countries, concentrated in the Global South. Kochi, India called on the network to create more tools designed specifically for these needs, following Kerala’s move to create India’s first dedicated senior citizens’ welfare department. As the mayor of Picka Municipality in Kenya said: “Aging is not a challenge; it is an opportunity to build stronger, healthier, and more connected communities.”
The evidence coming out of cities is undeniable. When communities commit to healthy longevity and a thriving Silver Economy, everyone benefits. The innovation, results, and shared learning on display in San Sebastian show what’s possible when we move together.
The Global Coalition on Aging will continue the conversation at the Silver Economy Forum, in Kuala Lumpur, on November 11–12. This convening will bring together policymakers, city leaders, businesses, and advocates to unlock the full potential of the Silver Economy. The movement showcased in San Sebastian, and in cities like Manchester, Kochi, and Santa Ana, proves that a bolder, more age-friendly world is already here. Now we need to scale it.
