AFC 2020 : Age-Friendly Cities: Enabling a Supportive Environment

According to United Nations estimates, the number of older persons aged 60+ will double from the current 600 million to 1.2 billion by 2025, and to 2 billion by 2050. The vast majority of older people live in their homes and communities, but in environments that have not been designed with their needs and capacities in mind. The World Health Organization (WHO) released a Policy Framework on Active Ageing in 2002 to engage global cities to make their communities more age-friendly

According to World Health Organisation, an age-friendly world "enables people of all ages to actively participate in community activities and treats everyone with respect, regardless of their age. It is a place that makes it easy for older people to stay connected to people that are important to them. And it helps people stay healthy and active even at the oldest ages and provides appropriate support to those who can no longer look after themselves.

An age-friendly city encourages active ageing by optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age. An age-friendly city adapts its structures and services to be accessible to and inclusive of older people with varying needs and capacities.

An age-friendly community benefits people of all ages with improved air and water quality, secure neighbourhoods, barrier-free buildings and streets with enhanced mobility. Families experience less worry and stress when their older relations have the services and supports, they need. The community benefits from the participation of older persons in volunteer or paid work and civic activities; and finally, the local economy benefits from the patronage of older adult consumers.

The Age-friendly Cities Conference and Exhibition 2020 (AFC2020) is designed to introduce Best Practices and served as a mechanism to create a deep understanding of what is involved in the creation of vibrant, cohesive and sustainable age-friendly cities and provided the foundation to the creation of a global network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities.