We are proud and excited to share KUT’s news coverage of the November 3rd vote re: the Age-friendly Austin Plan. Special thanks to Councilmembers Kitchen, Poole, and Casar, Mayor Pro Tem Tovo and Mayor Adler for their support.
Excerpt from KUT’s article, “Austin Adopts Plan To Be More “Age-Friendly”:
…The plan recommends improvements in eight specific areas including employment opportunity, health services and continuing education. Kitchen said many of these senior-friendly policies fit with those already identified in Imagine Austin, a comprehensive plan for the city’s future. That includes things like developing parks and farmer’s markets that are more accessible, providing more affordable housing, and – a big one – improving Austin’s transportation system.
“So, in transportation, that’s a matter of thinking about how we do sidewalks and street lighting, simple things like removing vegetation on sidewalks so it’s easier to walk, covered seating at bus stops, pedestrian-friendly crossings – things like that,” she said.
Recommendations in plan are the culmination of years of research by the city’s Commission on Seniors. They gathered input from residents at a series of community events. Speaking at City Hall on Tuesday, board member Sally Van Sickle said the growing senior population wants to be included and contribute to their communities. The plan suggests the city create more volunteer opportunities along with an internship program for older adults.
“We want to be engaged in what is going on in the city, we want to be involved, we’ve got a lot of experience that we can bring to the table,” Van Sickle said. “And I will say that, while you always hear about the silver tsunami, it’s not a tsunami. It’s a reservoir that needs to be utilized.”