City of Rowlett Receives AARP ‘Age-Friendly’ Designation
AARP Texas is pleased to welcome the City of Rowlett to the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, a move toward making Rowlett an even more livable place for people of all ages.
AARP Texas Director Tina Tran offered congratulations, noting that Rowlett is the 431st community to enroll in the network and enjoys the distinction of being the first community in the country to join in 2020. Other nearby communities in the network include Dallas, Fort Worth and Lancaster.
“Many people today want to stay in their homes and in their neighborhoods as they age,” said Tran. “By becoming part of the network, Rowlett is committing to do even more to improve livability in the community and involve older residents in the process.”
Joining the network is the first step in a multi-year process. Member communities are encouraged to plan strategically and implement plans that best fit the assets and opportunities of that member state and community. Work focuses on any or all of eight age-friendly domains: Transportation, Housing, Public Spaces, Respect and Social Inclusion, Civic Participation and Employment, Social Participation, Community and Health Services, and Communication and Information.
In a letter of congratulations to the City of Rowlett, AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond said the network “encourages elected officials and local leaders to focus on and strengthen the features and services that help to make communities livable for residents of all ages, from the cradle through retirement.”
LeaMond also wrote that enrollment in the network provides member communities like Rowlett with the resources to become more age-friendly by tapping into national and global research, planning models and best practices.
Nationally, about 100 million people live in a town, city, county, territory or state that has enrolled in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. AARP is the lead organization for the global network, working with the World Health Organization.
Learn more at www.aarp.org/livable-communities.
