Cecily O'Connor

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"When The Longevity Revolution Hits Your Town"

A three-part series

Planning now for sustainable, age-friendly communities for the graying of America can improve housing, healthcare, education and other services for all generations.

Fundraising Goal: $1,000

Location: Northern California: San Rafael, San Francisco, Oakland, Vallejo, Sacramento and Santa Rosa.

Short Description: As 78 million boomers start to retire, many cash-strapped Northern California communities – especially those not typically seen as retirement havens – are bracing for dramatic challenges that will force them to re-think affordable housing, medical services, public safety, transportation and other essential services. Real estate and income tax revenues will fall sharply as cities face sharply higher social service costs.
But planning prudently now can help establish cost-effective services that support both young and old, and can mean the difference between a highly livable multigenerational mecca that thrives in coming decades, and bankrupt communities that succumb to a cycle of poverty and street crime. Cities that are choosing to become more age-friendly now are positioning themselves for further growth in the future.

Proposed deliverables: A series of three 1,000-word articles with photographs of life in various cities such as San Rafael, San Francisco, Oakland, Vallejo, Sacramento and Santa Rosa. The project will be completed within one month of reaching the funding goal and first published on RedwoodAge.com, a Bay Area-based news site focused on readers over 40. It would later be made available to any nonprofit media.

Extended Description: Ask boomers where they want to spend their golden years and most would say “home.” They want to stay in the communities where they raised their families, made friends, shopped and saw their family doctor.

As a significant portion of the US population edges past middle age – about 330 adults turn 60 every hour of each day – communities find themselves under pressure to evolve with aging citizens while still serving young families, working adults and local businesses. These changes come at a time when many cities are struggling with pension costs, dwindling tax revenue and an uncertain economic outlook. Younger residents worry about competing with the aging boomers for limited services in their communities. Local governments worry about serving both.
To succeed, communities will need to find low-cost ways to add affordable housing, better public transportation, walk-able neighborhoods, farmer’s markets, wellness centers, greater access to arts and culture and increased support services that address various aging issues. Some services – including multigenerational housing, community medical services and daycare – will also help fill the needs of younger adults, who face higher living costs and a shrinking job market.

Residents also bear some responsibility in the creation and sustainability of age-friendly communities. They can not only call attention to problems, but lend a hand in crafting solutions. For example, retiring boomers have valuable skills in healthcare, education and other fields. These talents can be marshaled through volunteer efforts, bolstering the ability of neighborhoods to offer health and daycare services without turning to government for support. The younger generation can return the favor by helping elders with shopping, companionship and transportation.

Currently, a handful of Northern California communities like Sacramento and Marin County – the grayest county in California – are taking the first substantial steps to be more age friendly. For example, a “complete street” policy enables bicyclists, pedestrian, transit and cars to share the road safely. However, transportation is only one piece of the aging-friendly pie. And even there, there is much work to do.

This story will identify Northern California towns that are planning for the aging of their residents, take a look at other towns that aren’t, and offer a look at what changes are in store. It will explore the potential benefits and costs for all age groups.

Bio: Cecily O’Connor is a senior writer at RedwoodAge.com, a news site focused on issues that affect adults over 40. In addition to a decade of experience at MarketWatch, Crain Communications and other media organizations, O’Connor recently completed a fellowship at the National Press Foundation on retirement issues in the 21st century, adding to her well-honed perspective on aging in America.

Samples of her work

Comment From the Editor

If you could help to avoid the next Katrina or the next Foreclosure Crisis, wouldn’t you?
The topic proposed here – The Longevity Crisis in Your Town – will certainly dwarf those issues in the not-distant future. Already, we’re seeing cities struggle with retirement costs and budgets that aren’t growing as fast as demand for services.

How will Richmond, Vallejo and Oakland get by? Will your town be next? Every city will be tested, from the wealthiest suburbs of Marin to the fastest-growing towns of Silicon Valley.

RedwoodAge is proud to contribute to covering this topic. In addition to a cash pledge, RedwoodAge has committed to publish this series of stories on our Web site, bringing the reports to our influential audience. We deeply respect Cecily’s past work on finance and aging issues, and we encourage others to support her reporting on this vital topic. This is a subject that will affect us all and we will all benefit from this project.
Tom Murphy, Editor
RedwoodAge.com