AGE FRIENDLY CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

The Slovenian Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities is a program, which cooperates with mayoralty and the inhabitants of the city, resolves questions and needs related to demographic changes and maintains friendly relations between the generations in their communities. The population at the global level and on the Slovenian level is aging faster than in the past. By 2060 it is expected that 1/3 of Europeans will be older than 65. This is an important achievement, but longer life expectancy also poses new social challenges. An Age-friendly city or municipality is not only good for older people, because what is age-friendly, is friendly for everyone.

Anton Trstenjak Institute is coordinating Slovenian Network of Age-friendly cities and communities. The Institute is also assisting Slovenian cities and municipalities in tackling the challenges associated with an aging population.

Activities for the implementation the program - age-friendly cities and communities in Slovenia, were launched by Anton Trstenjak Institute of Gerontology and Intergenerational Relations in 2008. Incooperation with the World Health Organization, we encountered a very good response from mayors of some of the largest Slovenian cities. Since 2010 other cities and municipalities started to join the network. The Slovenian network now counts more than 15 municipalities - members. The results of the program are motored yearly by the Institute and reported both ways: back to Slovenian public as well as to the World Health Organisation responsible for global coordination.