Age-friendly policy: evaluating walkable environments for older adults in mid-sized Ontario municipalities

Ontario’s population is aging. The changing demographics and increase in adults over the age of 65 call into question whether local governments are ready to support an aging population, and suggests a need for planners to (re)evaluate current plans and policies to ensure they meet community needs. This MRP explores age-friendly walkable built environments for older adults from a planning policy perspective. A plan quality evaluation was used to assess official plans (and cross-referenced documents) of three mid-sized cities in Ontario: Norfolk County and the Cities of Sarnia and Thunder Bay. Findings suggest some policy support for environments enabling of older adult walkers, but older adults themselves are not as prioritized in the Official Plans of these aging cities. It is recommended that planners at provincial and municipal levels of government improve their practice by developing statutory policies that better contribute to age-friendly environments that support older adult walkers.