As Baby Boomers Age, Suburbs Try to Adapt

Street grids become walker-friendly for elderly

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 19, 2009 12:29 PM CDT

(Newser) – As baby boomers go, so go the suburbs. Now that boomers are entering or at least approaching retirement, the 'burbs are changing face to adapt to their needs, reports the Wall Street Journal. Across the country, communities are changing street grids to become walker-friendly, adding condos where single-family homes once dominated, and rethinking public transportation to suit an aging population.

"We aren't proposing to demolish entire single-family neighborhoods," says one Georgia Tech professor. "The idea is to revitalize an area by inserting more choices for people, especially more urban choices." The main problem is that the very features that made the suburbs a great place to grow up and raise kids—open spaces and privacy—turn into liabilities for seniors. "Every small community has the same problem," says one suburban mayor. "We want residents to be able to age in place, to meet their needs .. here, without having to move away."

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The suburbs are changing to accommodate aging baby boomers. (Shutter Stock)

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How often do you find a community design that allows you to live, shop, work and have (access to) services in a consolidated area? As people get older, that's quite a challenge. - Elinor Ginzler, AARP

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As Baby Boomers Age, Suburbs Try to Adapt