Evidence of improvements in health from age-friendly NYC

Age-friendly NYC is a partnership between New York City's Mayor, City Council and the New York Academy of Medicine aiming to make the city more inclusive of the 1.4 million older adults who live there. The initiative, now in its fifth year, focuses in several key areas to improve policy, practice and the built environment in the city. Major areas of improvement include transportation, social service delivery, cultural institutions, employment, technology and community development. The initiative works in a four step process of consulting with older adults, piloting initiatives, evaluating initiatives and disseminating initiatives if they are proven successful. Recent evaluation has shown improved health outcomes in several areas. The presentation will focus on several including a dramatic reduction in pedestrian injuries and fatalities with low-cost street redesign, health improvements by participants at new innovative senior centers, increased levels of physical activity through a new accessible parks initiative and increased food access through innovative transportation strategies. This presentation will outline these strategies and results and instruct participants on how to replicate them in their own communities. Participants will be given toolkits and resources developed for other cities' use, and the presentation will also draw on innovations from other communities around the world to whom Age-friendly NYC staff have provided strategic guidance.