Exercise and healthy eating have always been important, but have become a more recent trend with organic juice joints popping up around the U.S. as well as consumers opting to ride their bike instead of drive. Though this seems like it would be more of a millennial trend, recent findings [1] by A Place for Mom [2], a senior living referral service, show seniors prefer to live in walkable neighborhoods.
According to the report, by 2020 approximately 56 million Americans will be over the age of 65, meaning that many will be moving to senior housing and care, but also that they could be moving to areas with better walkability.
"The population is also physically aging more slowly, so many older adults will be able to stay more active later in life than past generations," says A Place for Mom's Data Scientist Ben Hanowell. "Across the spectrum of care needs, older adults will have a major impact on housing development over the next two decades. As a society, we need to start paying more attention to their behavior and preferences."
Neighborhood preferences among seniors are a relatively new subject to be studied, specifically how the preferences change by age and needs. This can be an important facet to keep in mind for developers, however, as according to the study it gives an opportunity to accommodate all generations through sustainable, mixed-use, dense, and multigenerational communities.
"There are obvious health benefits of walkable neighborhoods for seniors, but dense neighborhoods can benefit from the presence of seniors who can reduce traffic and the stress on local services," said Larry Gerber, founder of EPOCH [3], a senior living facility. "As more and more cities deal with the strains of rapid growth, they would be smart to consider creating housing and walkable communities that appeal to both seniors and millennials."