In October, we asked you to assess how age-friendly your city, town or county is by answering five simple questions. We imagine that answers varied, with most of you realizing that there's room for improvement in your efforts.

This is why ICMA and AARP have teamed up to provide resources to support you as you prepare for an aging population. Next Tuesday, December 8, ICMA and AARP will host a second webinar on a tool that that can be used to help assess if your community has the characteristics of being age-friendly. The AARP Livability Index, a first of its kind resource that allows people to determine how well their communities are meeting their current and future needs, can help you measure how your city or town rates across a comprehensive range of metrics that reflect attributes of a livable community. 

The Livability Index scores neighborhoods and communities across the U.S. for the services and amenities that impact residents’ lives the most. To learn concrete ideas for assessing and starting or enhancing your city or town’s efforts to be more age-friendly -- and compare your community to other localities nationwide -- register now for this upcoming free webinar.

This conversation complements the webinar we hosted on October 27, which highlighted how two communities – from among nearly 70 nationwide — have taken advantage of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities to enhance their efforts and improve their livability.

Participants in the last webinar learned that Age-Friendly is a five year program referred to as a cycle of continuous improvement. The first two years involve community assessment and engagement, which contribute to development of an Action Plan supported by a Community Advisory Council. Once an Action Plan is adopted and approved, the community enters into implementation and evaluation.

During the webinar, representatives from Auburn Hills, Michigan, and San Antonio, Texas, discussed how their communities are working through the program and the value they’ve already begun to see for their residents of all ages. You can learn more and watch a recording of the webinar by registering on this site.

Hope you'll join us on the 8th!