Four area cities recognized as Communities for All Ages

Today at the First Suburbs Coalition meeting, MARC honored four area cities for becoming more age friendly. Grandview and North Kansas City, Missouri, have achieved Silver Level status, while Grain Valley, Missouri, and Parkville, Missouri, were recognized with a Bronze Level award.

To advance to Silver Level recognition, Grandview and North Kansas City conducted self-assessments of age-friendly policies and actions on outdoor spaces and public buildings, housing, transportation and mobility, civic participation and employment, social inclusion/participation and communication, and health services.

To receive the Bronze Level designation, Parkville and Grain Valley’s city councils approved resolutions to demonstrate their cities’ commitment to participate in the program, and implemented a variety of education and awareness activities with elected officials, city staff, commissions, civic groups and residents on how their city can increase age-friendliness.

“The city of North Kansas City is honored to receive the Silver Level recognition as a Community for All Ages,” said Kim Nakahodo, assistant city administrator. “We would like to thank the city council, planning commission, community stakeholders and residents for their dedication to this phase of the program. We look forward to implementing the findings identified in the Silver Level assessment and applying an ‘all ages lens’ to all of our future projects.”

The Communities for All Ages recognition program was developed by the First Suburbs Coalition and KC Communities for All Ages — two groups convened by MARC to develop programs and tools to help communities respond to a rapid increase in the older adult population, and make communities more welcoming for all age groups. The program is available to all cities and counties in the nine-county MARC region.