Active Aging Plan

News

We are pleased to announce that Burlington City Council approved the Burlington Active Aging Plan (BAAP) at its meeting on Monday, July 10, 2017.

Thank you to everyone in the community who contributed to the development of this important community initiative. We look forward to continuing to work with the community towards making the age-friendly improvements outlined in the Active Aging Plan in the coming years.

View a copy of the Active Aging Plan

View the staff report about the Active Aging Plan

About the Burlington Active Aging Plan

The City of Burlington is proud to be a part of a world-wide movement to help keep older adults active, healthy and engaged in their community.

Older adults are an important part of our community fabric. Like many other world class cities, our goal is to become an "Age Friendly" community that is truly inclusive, accessible and supportive of citizens of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. A place where residents feel a sense of belonging and have access to opportunities and services that make their life better and richer.

Active Aging Plan - Five Focus Areas

Burlington's Active Aging Plan will look at future needs and opportunities in five different focus areas, adopted from the World Health Organization's criteria for an age-friendly community.

These five focus areas are:

Transportation and Transit
Remove mobility and transportation barriers to ensure that movement through the city is accessible, affordable, convenient, safe and reliable. This will promote social connectedness for all citizens.

Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
Recognize that our public spaces influence the relationship that citizens have with their community. Design welcoming, attractive, safe and accessible public spaces that enhance the beauty and enjoyment of city life for all residents.

Social Inclusion
Ensure that citizens have access to social, recreational, cultural and spiritual activities that foster supportive relationships, community connections and enhance quality of life for citizens of all ages.

Civic Participation
Enable access to rewarding volunteer and employment opportunities where citizens can continue to use their knowledge to remain engaged in civic life throughout the full life course.

Communications and Information
Ensure citizens receive information about their community and services in formats that are easy to understand and access.

Developing the Active Aging Plan

To help create the Active Aging Plan, the city worked with a consultant and a community advisory committee that represents a broad spectrum of Burlington's older adult population. The development of the plan also received significant input from the community. Through the community engagement process, more than 1,400 survey responses were received and over 20 groups serving older adults were consulted.

The project is divided into three phases:

Phase 1: Community Profile (January to May 2016)
In the first phase of the BAAP, a comprehensive and current community profile was developed which built on findings from local, regional and provincial work already completed. This situational analysis identified population growth patterns, community planning initiatives, and reviewed existing services and infrastructure in Burlington.

Phase 2: Community Engagement (May to September 2016)
From the outset of the process, community engagement and public input has shaped the prioritization of the plan. The BAAP is the result of almost a year of community engagement work that targeted adults 55+ and included input from local residents, businesses, community groups, city staff, the leadership team, and council members.

For a complete summary of the public engagement completed, view the Active Aging Plan.

Phase 3: Developing the Action Plan (October 2016 to June 2017)
With a current and comprehensive understanding of the community's profile and the community's considerations identified, city staff and the Community Working Group developed a solid framework to guide strategy recommendations. The BAAP lists current initiatives and future recommendations which will move us towards an age-friendly city.