A community that works well for children and the elderly is livable for everyone. Smart growth strategies provide significant advantages for older adults: transportation choices, healthy environments, affordable housing opportunities, access to services, social interaction, and more. Advocates for older adults have traditionally focused on critical individual needs for enhancing quality of life, such as home modification strategies and affordable prescription drugs. As the retirement age for the baby boom generation edges nearer, however, community-wide livability is increasingly being recognized as a more sustainable way to enhance quality of life for more people over time. This issue summary highlights trends facing communities with older residents, and offers smart growth strategies that communities can use to deal with these trends.