Communities For All Ages
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WHAT is Communities for All Ages?

Communities for All Ages (CFAA) is a multi-site community building initiative coordinated by the Temple University Center for Intergenerational Learning that intentionally:

  • promotes the well-being of children, youth, and older adults
  • strengthens families
  • provides opportunities for ongoing interaction across ages.

CFAA is both a vision and a life span approach to community building. It seeks to improve the quality of life for entire communities, not specific age groups. It is based on the belief that the aging of the population is opening up opportunities for a wide range of people to think differently and act differently--for the greater good. By leveraging limited resources and creating alliances built around convergent interests, the Communities for all Ages framework is building inclusive constituencies for neighborhood/ community change and creating thriving, enabling environments in which to grow up and grow older.

The core elements of a community for all ages include:

  • A continuum of accessible health and social services that support individuals and families across the life course;
  • Opportunities for lifelong civic engagement and learning;
  • Diverse and affordable housing and transportation options that address changing needs;
  • A physical environment that promotes healthy living and the wise use of natural resources;
  • Policies, facilities and public spaces that foster interaction across generations; and
  • Strong social networks that include all ages and cultures.

The Communities for All Ages national network currently consists of twelve communities in Arizona, Westchester County, New York and Brunswick, Maine. Funding is provided by the Arizona Community Foundation, the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation, the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, the Florence V. Burden Foundation, and Ashoka:Innovators for the Public. A new grant from the Kellogg Foundation will be used to both strengthen the CFAA national network and expand the initiative to six additional communities.