Community For All Ages

The City of Harrisonville is proud to be working with KC Communities for All Ages. Through this program, city and civic leaders will be able to identify and act upon issues and opportunities concerning the aging adult population. We recognize the intrinsic value of the older generation, respect their wisdom and insight, and look to involve them in creating a high standard of living in the community they live. 

KC Communities for All Ages was formed in 2008 to coordinate a community response to the future needs of the aging baby boomer generation. The Kansas City area's older adult population is expected to nearly double over the next 20 years, from almost 180,000 in 2007 to more than 372,000 by the year 2030 - a 107 percent increase. The KC Communities for All Ages initiative will focus on five major areas: housing, transportation and mobility, social and civic engagement, care-giving, and health. 

QUICK FACTS ON AGING: 

• The over-65 population is the biggest it has ever been in American history.
• The Baby Boomer generation (1946 - 1964) turns 65 years old at the rate of 10,000 per day, and will continue to do so for the next 20 years. 
• The average American life expectancy is now 78.3 years. 
• By the year 2030, 20% of all Americans will be age 65 or older.
• By the year 2050, 1 out of every 10 older adults will be age 90 or over. 
• Approximately 80% of this age group are white; 8% African-American; 4% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. 

The City of Harrisonville was named a BRONZE Level Community for All Ages during the December 5, 2022 Board of Aldermen meeting.

(Pictured: Mayor Judy Bowman, City Administrator Brad Ratliff, Parks & Recreation Director Grant Purkey, Community Development Director Christina Stanton, Economic Development Director Jim Clarke)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CITY OF HARRISONVILLE "AGE FRIENDLY" SURVEY RESULTS

How to earn recognition

To earn Bronze / Awareness recognition:

• Adopt a resolution to become a Community for All Ages.
• Make a presentation to governing bodies and relevant commissions on becoming age friendly and the Communities for All Ages program.
• Take at least two of the following actions:
• Hold at least one community meeting to discuss issues and present information.
• Prepare written materials on age-friendly communities and distribute to the public.
• Establish a speakers bureau to speak to neighborhood, business and civic groups.
• Put information about demographic changes and Communities for All Ages on your website.

To earn Silver / Assessment recognition:

• Meet the requirements for Bronze / Awareness level.
• Form a Community for All Ages committee of community members (or assign tasks to an existing committee) and have members use the Communities for All Ages Checklist to assess your community and issue a report based on their findings.

To earn Gold / Implementation recognition: 

• Meet the Bronze / Awareness and Silver / Assessment level criteria.
• Adopt a Communities for All Ages Plan or include a Community for All Ages component in a major local plan, such as a comprehensive plan, strategic plan or park plan. 

To maintain your recognition level:

After achieving one these levels of recognition, a community must demonstrate that it is continuing to work to become a Communities for All Ages, by moving to the next level and demonstrating a substantive investment in infrastructure, services or programming identified in the Communities for All Ages plan.

If a community fails to meet this maintenance standard it will forgo its recognition and the benefits that result.

For more information, read Making Your City Work for All Ages: A Toolkit for Cities, use the Communities for All Ages Checklist to help assess your community and the Workbook version of the Checklist to record your progress.