Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, an initiative by SWPPA and Pitt School of Social Work, is bringing generations together to make our region more inclusive and respectful of all ages.
Allegheny County is growing older—and fast. Compared to other regions our size, our county has the second largest concentration of older adults in the United States behind only Palm Beach, FL. Almost 20% of residents are ages 65+, compared to 17% nationally. Our region will see an 85% increase in people ages 85+ by 2050.
This new demographic reality is an opportunity. Older adults have career expertise, lived experience, buying power and diverse skills. But the world—the built environment and the social environment—was not designed for all ages and abilities.
It should be.
At Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, we believe in aging in community—having opportunities to participate in life our entire life. We should all be able to work, play and meet for a meal. We should all be able to choose (and do) what matters to us. By working together to make our region more age-friendly, we’re saying to older adults and people of all ages and abilities: We care about you. We respect you. We want you here.
Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh is part of a global movement to create better communities for people of all ages. Our region is one of 1400+ communities in the World Health Organization Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities and one of 800+ communities in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. SWPPA serves as Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh’s founder and fiscal sponsor, having brought the age-friendly movement to our region over a decade ago.
The 2022-2025 Action Plan describes how Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh advances equity through advocacy, education and innovation in partnership with 120+ local organizations. Highlights include:
The Age-Friendly Community Panel is a group of primarily older residents, representing eight communities across Allegheny County: Braddock, Clairton, Coraopolis, Downtown, Duquesne, Hazelwood, McKeesport and Wilkinsburg. They are trained and paid to consult with neighborhood leaders, local businesses and other community members on policies to make our neighborhoods more livable for everyone.
Age-Friendly Scholars are the next generation of leaders passionate about aging issues and the global age-friendly movement. The 2023-2024 cohort of Scholars includes 10 undergraduate and graduate students from University of Pittsburgh, Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State Greater Allegheny, representing fields like health sciences, social work, engineering, film, information systems and business.
Local experts who work in and outside of aging lead work groups in transportation, housing, digital access, workforce and dementia 