Older Population Will Reshape Cities

By Bob Ransford, Vancouver Sun
November 9, 2013

Too often when we are planning, designing and building our cities, we fail to think about the massive demographic phenomena that is changing our lives. We need to connect the dots between the realities of a dominant aging population that is emerging in the next 30 years and the decisions we make today. Japan is currently the only country in the world with more than 30 per cent of its population aged over 60. By 2050, there will be 64 countries. There will be two billion people over 60 worldwide – a 250-per-cent increase over today. There are an estimated five million Canadians 65 years of age or older today, a number that is expected to double in the next 25 years to 10.4 million seniors by 2036. Since 1970, worldwide life expectancy has risen by around 10 years for both men and women. More …