Age-friendly Boston
We want to create an environment in which older adults can continue to lead healthy and productive lives in Boston.
The Age-Friendly Boston project works with the City’s public agencies, businesses, cultural, educational, and religious institutions, and community groups. We're challenging them to consider how they can change policy and practices to enhance the quality of life for our residents.
Our dementia-friendly work is embedded in our Age-Friendly action plan. You’ll see dementia-friendly items throughout the plan, signified by an asterisk.
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Have questions? Contact us:
Age Strong Commission
Initiatives
Age-friendly benches
Our program aims to improve public spaces and address the lack of benches in Boston.
Age-friendly Boston achievements: Year 2
Learn about the work accomplished during the second year of the Age-Friendly Boston Action Plan.
Age-friendly businesses
Learn about age-friendly and dementia-friendly businesses, and how to certify your company.
Age-friendly walks
We have a map of outdoor walking locations for older adults in the City of Boston.
Food Access maps
Find healthy and affordable food in the City of Boston.
Intergenerational Homeshare Pilot
We’re offering affordable housing to graduate students while helping local homeowners and communities.
Job resources for seniors
Get connected to job and re-training programs in the City of Boston.
Age-friendly Boston achievements: Year 1
Learn about the work accomplished during the first year of the Age-Friendly Boston Action Plan.
Older Workers Report
Explore the employment challenges and opportunities for older workers in Boston.
Public restrooms in the City of Boston
We created an interactive map and a list of public restrooms by neighborhood.
Senior Civic Academy
Curriculum includes aging policy, advocacy training and meetings with local, state, and federal administrators and elected officials.
Keys to Implementing Age-Friendly Action
The Age-Friendly Boston Initiative has been implementing action items for three years. In that time, a lot has been accomplished and even more has been learned along the way.
Action Plan at a glance
What does it mean to be an age-friendly city? It means a city that adapts its structures and services to be accessible and inclusive to residents of all ages and abilities. The Age-Friendly Boston Action Plan is our City’s blueprint to make Boston the best city to live and age in. The plan details 75 concrete action items the City will take to become even more age friendly.
Intersecting InitiativesThe Age-Friendly Action Plan is part of comprehensive planning efforts on the part of the City and will be integrated into the other processes. These plans are re-enforcing and reflecting each other where there is synergy.
Our Philosophy and ProcessThe age-friendly process has been a grassroots effort and a bottom-up approach. Our action items came directly out of the diverse voices from Boston’s neighborhoods, ages 50 and over. Since this is a three-year Action Plan, we have included action items that we are confident can be completed within this time with interdepartmental support and community partners. We will continue to refine and build on other ideas generated through this process.
The Action Plan touches on topics of significant impact, such as dementia, economic insecurity, and social isolation. Action items fall under the eight key domains listed above.
Now is the TimeThe Age-Friendly Action Plan challenges all of us — public agencies, private sectors, cultural institutions — to think differently about aging. We believe Boston is and will continue to be a city for all ages.
By the Numbers:- Five-year process to become Age-Friendly
- 30 listening sessions in four languages
- 23 neighborhoods engaged across the City
- 70 organizations participated
- 3,700 survey responses in six languages
- 4,000+ voices of older adults represented
- 75 action items developed
Stakeholders outside of City
University of Massachusetts Boston
The school is nationally recognized as a student-centered urban public research university.
AARP
Take advantage of your age and experience to expand your possibilities.
Tufts Health Plan Foundation
Our mission is to improve the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve.
