I recently attended one of Simon Fraser University's City Conversations. The event, Planning for an Aging Population, was presented by SFU Public Square and co-sponsored by the Seniors Program at SFU Continuing Studies.
Two presenters discussed how the City should plan for an aging population. Gordon Harris is an urban planner and President and CEO of the SFU Community Trust, where he provides leadership in the development of UniverCity, a new sustainable community on Burnaby Mountain next to Simon Fraser University. Leslie Van Duzer is director of the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at UBC. She brought a unique perspective from her experiences with older adults in Minneapolis.
Although these speakers are smart, well-respected people, I was disappointed that two of the imperatives for providing adequate housing for older adults—affordability and accessibility—were not mentioned in their presentations.
One audience member did ask about affordability, but the response was not satisfactory from the perspective of older adults: build more density around transit hubs and hope that prices will come down. This is the same solution offered in the final report of the Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability. It will take much more than densification, however, to reduce the exorbitant cost of housing in Vancouver, especially for older adults. Until we consider other solutions, aging-in-place will be a remote possibility for many seniors in Vancouver.
Regarding accessibility, nobody acknowledged that seniors have physical challenges that require special adaptations, such as ramps, handrails, bathroom safety devices, and special lighting, and that builders should be required to provide these.
These opinions are those of the author, Ms. Lidyard, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Seniors Advisory Committee.
