GREENSBORO, N.C. — Do you catch yourself saying these things:
I wish my community had...
If only there was a park or a grocery store in my neighborhood…
Getting around would be easier if they...
What can we really do about planning or infrastructure changes where we live? For the next couple of months, the short answer is to take this Age My Way survey.
It takes about 20 minutes and asks about the area you live in and what would make it better. The survey teams up the AARP and the state of North Carolina. The info will be used for city, county, and state planning purposes.
“Typically, we've built communities with houses for a family with a couple of kids and a dog, but what we're finding is people are staying here and retiring here and people are not having as many children. So, we have a changing population and that's why we're doing this survey to see what we might need to be doing next,” said Lisa Riegel, AARP.
Does your area need more sidewalks? As you get older do you want to stay in your house or move? Is that because you want a smaller house or less maintenance of the property?
These are the kinds of questions the survey asks.
It's anonymous, all you put in is your zip code.
While the survey is for those 45 and older, the idea is to make the community better for all populations. Here's an example.
“Easier for people to enter a park or a trail, you're not just making it better for someone 65+ but think about the mom with the baby and the stroller, so it's not just about the aging population, but age-friendly,” said Riegel.