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Can baby boomers age in place?

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This question is asked and answered by Peter Boston at Best Syndication.

“City planning specialists, MDs and aging consultants of all types are thinking about the need to revamp the suburbs to better accommodate the swelling numbers of baby boomers who stuck down family roots there decades ago.

Suburbs can be hostile to boomers because of the high dependency on the car to get around or even accomplish basic tasks like grocery shopping. For most suburban areas reliable public transportation is a rarity to nonexistent. Cars are expensive to buy, expensive to insure, and expensive to maintain. For the boomer on a fixed income whose first non-health related priority is home maintenance, reliable vehicle transportation can become problematic. The loss of transportation leads directly to a loss of independence, frustration and ultimately loss of quality of life.

A recent Wall Street Journal article ‘Making Suburbia More Livable’ offered several examples of communities that are planning on redesigning suburban layouts so that more boomers can age comfortably without moving out.”

According to the post, these forward-looking communities are:

  • Redesigning street grids to improve walkability.
  • Building town homes and condominiums closer to a central square.
  • Adding greenways and parks to promote social interaction.
  • Adding social spaces, shops, transportation options, and recreation and entertainment facilities.