Who is Agent Plan-it?

Agent Plan-it is a town planning superhero!

She knows all there is to know about town planning and is helping us learn all about how to plan a town!

Watch this video all about the things you need to think about when planning a town that older people will live in…

After that you should have a better idea of the things that a town planner needs to think about to make a place suitable for an ageing population.

Why do we have to think about an ageing population when planning a town?

In modern times people live much longer then they used to and this leads to an ageing population.

These people need to get to the shops, meet up with their friends and get around as much as anyone else so we need to make sure that the town allow them to do that and is inclusive to them.

What things do we need to consider?

Like we saw in the video, some people might not be able to walk and so have to use a wheelchair.

A condition called dementia can affect personality and memory, making people more forgetful than they used to be. That makes it hard for them to get around so town planners try and develop safe spaces for all.

For example, it would be great if old people didn’t have to worry about steps and kerbs!

When you’re planning your town you need to make sure these people can live there just as easily as young people.

What can we do to make the town inclusive for them?

One way towns are inclusive to older people is by being step-free. This means that there are no steps anywhere for people to climb – instead they use ramps and lifts.

Making an area step free makes it easier for lots of people who struggle with walking – not just those in a wheelchair.

You could move where these people live closer to the things they use regularly like the shops and doctors. This means that they don’t need to be walking long distances and catching buses everywhere.

You could even create a whole area of houses just for older people that doesn’t have many cars around to make it safer for older people and has everything they would need near by.

So if I make a town it needs to be step free and have everything close together?

Not necessarily, these are all great options to help the older population but the main thing is to think about what will make the town inclusive for these people.

Think about that and make your own decisions about what steps you should take to make the town great for everyone who lives in it!