Fernanda Torres-Gill

Next-Century Cities: A New Design for an Aging Demographic

Joe Coughlin, Mike Hoden, Nora Supra, Paul Irving, Fernanda Torres-Gill

With a global demographic shift projecting 3 billion older urban residents by 2050, a panel of experts including representatives from McKinsey and the Global Coalition on Aging addressed the critical intersection of urbanization, aging infrastructure, and socioeconomic equity. The discussion highlighted that while cities like Boston are adapting through age-neutral design, widespread challenges such as transit deficits, gentrification, and fragmented federal policies necessitate a strategic pivot to treat aging as an economic prosperity issue rather than merely a health concern. Ultimately, the event called for integrated governance models, private sector innovation in care delivery, and cultural shifts toward long-term planning to ensure cities can sustainably support a population where older adults outnumber the young.