LOS ANGELES – One-hundred thirty-seven U.S. mayors from across the political spectrum have signed the Milken Institute’s Best Cities for Successful Aging Mayor’s Pledge, committing to make their cities work better for older adults and to enable older adults to strengthen their cities and improve lives for all generations through purposeful work and volunteerism. More mayors are signing the Pledge every week. The mayors and their cities are listed on a site devoted to the Mayor’s Pledge: http://successfulaging.milkeninstitute.org/mayors-pledge/
The Pledge comes from the Institute’s Best Cities for Successful Aging Advisory Committee, an important group of thought leaders and experts who are advising the Institute in its work on healthy, productive and purposeful aging. See the Pledge here: http://www.milkeninstitute.org/publications/view/662
“Change begins at home – that’s what drives the Milken Institute's focus on Best Cities for Successful Aging. We’re pleased that so many forward thinking mayors have demonstrated their commitment to making their cities better places for aging,” says Milken Institute President Paul Irving. “Cities can be engines of innovation and change. That’s why we are asking these urban leaders to make their cities work better for older adults and to enable older adults to help their cities create a brighter future for all ages.”
By signing the Pledge, mayors agree to take such steps as increasing housing, health and transportation options that suit the aging population’s varied needs. They also commit to providing opportunities for older adults to work for their city, through volunteer activity and purposeful encore careers across the government, nonprofit and private sectors.
In the coming days the Institute will publish its 2014 edition of Best Cities for Successful Aging. Launched in 2012, the widely recognized report measures, compares and ranks U.S. metropolitan areas for their capacity to enable successful aging. The methodology makes use of publicly available data on health care, wellness, living arrangements, financial well-being, transportation, employment and educational opportunities and community engagement.
“Enabling successful aging is a central issue of our time, and urban communities are at the forefront,” says Irving. “The Best Cities for Successful Aging Mayor’s Pledge unites mayors in a commitment to enhance life for the largest-ever population of older adults in the U.S., and to ensure a better future for lives across the age spectrum. The ideas and innovations advanced by U.S. mayors will open the door to solutions that can be scaled and replicated at the state, national and global levels. And their leadership will inspire other policy makers to act.”
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