Aging boomers strain cities built for the young

[Seedersandleechers]

America's cities are beginning to grapple with a fact of life: People are getting old, fast, and they're doing it in communities designed for the sprightly.

To envision how this silver tsunami will challenge a youth-oriented society, just consider that seniors soon will outnumber schoolchildren in hip, fast-paced New York City.

It will take some creative steps to make New York and other cities age-friendly enough to help the coming crush of older adults stay active and independent in their own homes.

"It's about changing the way we think about the way we're growing old in our community," said New York Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs. "The phrase 'end of life' does not apply anymore."



http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/09/3003418/aging-boomers-strain-cities-built.html

[zanana1]

1. Yup. We ALL get old. nt

[newfie11]

2. oh don't worry

cutting SS and Medicare we'll all die off earlier.

[NYC_SKP]

3. Much ado. There have been old people in our oldest cities for, well, centuries.

New York City and San Francisco and other cities have accommodated folks in their golden years for generations.

Recently, regulations friendly to the disabled and "less mobile" citizens is insuring greater access to those who need it.

The cities will be pressed, I'm sure, by the increase in volume but they'll get by.

What won't get by is the funding of social services for them unless we start increasing funding since the shrinking base of contributing workers to the system is shrinking while the pool of people needing services is growing.

Basic math.

K/R

:patriot:

[JHB]

6. +10

Exactly what I was thinking. The NYC examples given (chairs for people to sit down, cabs that are easier to get into and out of) are relatively small things, they help out everybody, and some are things that existed before but got cut or changed for reasons that had little to do with "the young" (Checker taxicabs, anyone?).

A lot of places that had their infrastructure laid down in the car-oriented postwar sprawl are going to have to make much, much bigger changes.

[surrealAmerican]

4. It's still better than aging in the suburbs.

In many suburbs, if you can't drive, you're stuck.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Very good article, lots of detail.

Thanks for posting.
:hi:

[femmocrat]

7. Oh, just kill us off now.

We are totally useless and a burden on society. :eyes:

[shanti]

17. they're trying

give them time!

[theophilus]

8. Remember, Tuesday is Soylent Green day! n/t

[MineralMan]

9. How old do you think the Boomers are?

I'm one year in ahead of the Boomers, and I'm 65 years old. Every Boomer is younger than I am. Now, I don't know about others, but I'm still a very active person. It's going to be a long time before the Boomers are hobbling along with walkers. You need to examine your definitions, I think.

[Fumesucker]

10. People vary a lot in health, agility and so forth.

I'm sixty one and I know a lot of people younger than I am with far more serious health issues than I have, lots of people are having knee and hip problems before sixty.

I can still ride my recumbent bike 30 miles without really hurting too much but I'm in a minority in bike riding at my age.

[MineralMan]

11. That's true, of course.

I sure see a lot of Boomers out there who are very far from being helpless, doddering old fools who can't do anything. The idea expressed in the OP is just silly.

Our cities are more suited for older residents than any other part of the country. They have the public transportation and other necessary infrastructure. Indeed, elderly people (not boomers) are moving back into the cities. Boomers are still out there living their normal lives.

This is just typical of how people mistake the Boomers for the Boomer's parents. I still have my parents. My wife still has her mother. All are in their 80s, and are still taking care of themselves, driving, gardening, and doing what they please. Hell, the Boomers are just youngsters in comparison. This OP is silly.

[Fumesucker]

12. I lost my parents about forty years ago..

Not everyone is lucky enough to have young and vigorous parents, my dad was 49 when I was born, my mother was younger but was of that generation of women that never spoke of their age so I still don't know exactly how old she was.

Since they were immigrants I was left at 22, after taking care of two parents dying of cancer inside three years, entirely on my own except for my younger brother.

I've noticed that you have a tendency to assume that your situation holds for everyone.

[MineralMan]

14. I assume nothing. I describe my own situation. That does not

imply that I don't know that others are not in the same situation. My point is that most members of the Boomer age group are far from doddering old people. Merely their ages would indicate that. I'm very sorry that you lost your parents at a young age. That's a terrible thing, and I've known others for whom that is the case. However, it is no more accurate to apply that to others than it is for me to apply my experience to others. I don't do that. I simply state my experience. You may be reading something into my words that isn't there.

Statistics demonstrate that most Boomers are very active and productive people. That is my point to counter the OP's argument. It implies nothing about anything else at all.

[Fumesucker]

15. Every single person on the planet makes assumptions..

Assuming they aren't a mental vegetable.

Your claim that you assume nothing is utterly ludicrous, it's impossible to make it through the day with assuming a lot of things.

[MineralMan]

16. OK, Fumesucker. Have it your way.

We seemed to be at the point of agreement regarding the boomers. I did not intend to start an argument with you, and I won't continue it. No point to that.

See you around.

[rug]

13. I grew up in "hip, fast-paced New York City" and the neighborhoods were filled with old people.

Since it became a post-collegiate capitalist playground, the developers have strained mightily to rebrand it.

I'm glad old people, on fixed incomes and with the protection of rent stabilzation laws, are staying. NYC and its public transit, access to medical care, and neighborhood social centers, is ideal for old people.

Tough shit, developers.

[Baclava]

18. Carosel

[RSillsbee]

20. According to IMDB

that scene was actually filmed backwards the actors were actually lowered down and then the film was reversed


The "Carousel" sequence is one of the most complex flying wire stunts ever done for a motion picture. A circular rig was constructed above the set, designed to rotate in sync with the revolving floor plate below. Initially, the performers were all supported by a single winch driving the mechanism for their thin support cables. Unfortunately this resulted in the cables becoming tangled during rehearsal; each stuntman had to be untangled and brought down from the rig in a maintenance lift. The rig then had to be redesigned so that each stuntman was on their own separate winch, with all of the winches connected to a "panic" switch that cut the power in the event of an emergency. For reversal shots, the white crystal on the arena ceiling was built on the floor of the stage, and the performers were lowered down towards it. These shots were then filmed upside-down so as to make it appear that the performers were moving upward.

[Baclava]

21. Nice high teck wizard stuff

I can dig it

[WinkyDink]

19. WTH?!?!, NYC, e.g., was NOT BUILT FOR "THE YOUNG"! The 20-somethings do not support the Arts with a

capital "A." Or museums. I'm talking cash-money charitable donations, here.

Sure, there's always a hipster scene. But behind every teen Beatle is an older Brian Epstein.