This implies the need to redesign urban, labor, and social systems simultaneously. Adapting a city to this new reality does not mean adding isolated initiatives, but rather rethinking transportation, housing, access to services, digital inclusion, and job opportunities. “When we talk about longevity or older people, there is still a predominant view associated with vulnerability. But what we are seeing is something different: a transformation that opens economic, social, and productive opportunities, and that also redefines how all generations interact,” states Falcone. Access of older adults to basic services The model being promoted is compact, diverse, and walkable to allow older adults to access basic services (health, commerce, leisure) without long distances. It means adapting public transport, repairing sidewalks, designing public gathering spaces, and adapting housing to facilitate physical autonomy. And fundamentally, to encourage older people to remain an active part of the economic, social, and cultural life of the city. The ultimate reference is the so-called cities of the future. These are sustainable, hyper-connected, and smart urban environments that maximize quality of life while minimizing resource consumption. They use the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, renewable energy, electric mobility, and vertical green spaces to integrate technology with nature. Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou (technological innovation) and Frankfurt (sustainability) are the prime examples. The central objective to be achieved is a balance between economic development, social inclusion, and environmental protection, creating more human and functional spaces. Advances in Buenos Aires Buenos Aires already shows progress on the agenda that will guide the event next Thursday, April 23, at the City of Buenos Aires Planetarium, with initiatives aimed at digital inclusion, well-being, and the active participation of older people, positioning itself as one of the cities that is beginning to integrate this conversation in the region. The same Shift Global team that has been driving the Silver Economy Forum in Buenos Aires since 2022 is taking a further step in its evolution, expanding its focus from the silver economy to structural redesign in the face of demographic change. As part of this new stage, The Shift Challenge emerged, an initiative that works with organizations, governments, and leaders to accompany their adaptation to a new demographic reality where people live longer, birth rates are decreasing, and the social composition is changing structurally. The event “From blue cities to Buenos Aires: the challenge of managing demographic change in time” will bring together local and international leaders to analyze how to prepare urban environments for populations that will live longer and remain active for more years. The event will feature Andrew Scott, a world-leading expert in the economics of longevity, a professor at London Business School, and author of The Longevity Imperative and The 100-Year Life. Among the confirmed national speakers are Claudio Zuchovicki, Rafael Rofman, José Eduardo Abadi, and Guillermo Capuya. Likewise, representatives from the Government of the City of Buenos Aires and the embassies of Italy, Japan, Greece, Costa Rica, and the United States will participate, countries where territories with exceptional levels of longevity have been identified, and whose learnings make it possible to understand what conditions favor longer, active, and healthier lives.
