The goal of the Town of Miami Lakes is to continue to enhance the quality of life and unique community feel through visionary land use planning, effcient provision of public facilities and services, protection of neighborhoods, and conservation of those built and natural assets which define the Town.

As the U.S. population ages and people stay healthy and active longer, communities must adapt. Well-designed, livable communities promote health and sustain economic growth, and they make for happier, healthier residents — of all ages. As a step towards making the Town a livable community for its residents of all ages, the Town is seeking to apply to become and AARP Age Friendly community.

The AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities is an affiliate of the World Health Organization's Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Program, an international effort launched in 2006 to help cities prepare for rapid population aging and the parallel trend of urbanization. The program has participating communities in more than 20 nations, as well as 10 affiliates representing more than 1,000 communities. Miami-Dade County and three municipalities, Village of Pinecrest, Village of Palmetto Bay, and the Town of Cutler Bay are AARP Age Friendly designated communities.

Membership in the program means that a community's elected leadership has made thecommitment to actively work toward making their town, city or county a great place for people of all ages. However, membership in the network does not mean that the community is, currently, "age-friendly" or a great place to retire and isnotan endorsement by AARP.

AARP's participation in the program advances efforts to help people live easily and comfortably in their homes and communities as they age. AARP's presence encourages older adults to take a more active role in their communities and have their voices heard. Initiatives focus on areas such as housing, caregiving, community engagement, volunteering, social inclusion and combating isolation among older citizens.

Combined with the resources provided by AARP — the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities program supports AARP's goal of being recognized by elected officials and others as a leading resource for how to improve the livability of communities for people age 50+ and their families.

The program emphasizes both the built and the social environment and helps refine what it means for AARP to have a community presence. The AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities program is a tool that can be used by AARP staff and others to help local leaders prepare and ultimately change their communities to become great places for everyone to live.

Members of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities become part of a global network of communities that are committed to giving their older residents the opportunity to live rewarding, productive and safe lives.

The benefits of membership include:

• Access to a global network of participating communities, as well as aging and civil society experts

• Access to key information about the program, such as the latest news and information about best practices, events, results, challenges and new initiatives

• Opportunities for partnerships with other cities, both domestic and international

• Mentoring and peer-review evaluation by member cities

• Public recognition of the community's commitment to become more age-friendly

• Speaking engagements at conferences and events hosted by AARP and promotion through AARP's media channels

There is no fee to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. However, the application requires a letter of support from the Mayor and a Council resolution supporting the application.

Once enrolled in the program, the Town must conduct a comprehensive and inclusive baseline assessment of the age-friendliness of the community. The assessment will cover areas related to age friendliness and housing; outdoor spaces and buildings; transportation and streets; health and wellness; social participation; inclusion and educational opportunities; volunteering and civic engagement. The Town will have two years to develop a three-year community action plan addressing age friendliness based on its assessment findings. The Town will plan to conduct this assessment in-house with resources provided by AARP, Town staff and Town committees.