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age-friendly Cities innovation

Tinder for Towns

Could we elevate the ubiquitous swipe to improve our cities? Every day millions of people, young and old, collectively make 1.6bn swipes on profiles they’re presented with on Tinder, one of the most popular dating apps. These swipes either send that profile to the virtual dustbin (left) or open up the potential for witty banter, […]

age-friendly Cities innovation

An innovation framework for age-friendly cities

As cities take on disruptive challenges, in particular harnessing technological disruptions and managing aging populations (see earlier post about updating ‘age-friendly’ here), this note suggests a five-stage framework to guide cities along their innovation journey. It’s designed to be more descriptive than prescriptive – each city will implement in its own way and in line with […]

age-friendly Cities

Updating ‘age-friendly’ for the innovation age

The world is being rocked by four uniquely powerful disruptive forces: aging, urbanization, technology and globalization. The WHO’s age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC) initiative – updated to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by pervasive, ubiquitous, exponential technology – could be a powerful platform to help cities adapt and thrive in a fast-changing world. The […]

Credit: Esther Lee https://www.flickr.com/photos/47096398@N08/4611435597/in/photolist-o1LHJv-6chqid-7NWDVb-7NSDEp-gUTT4o-e2fe6j-dyBDjm-h33shk-dhdxan-hdG6aA-nzV69Q-5ppDcU-7mWrsu-82uP9i-tpFyS-T6d7PR-2LUzN7-amM1V4-8XvGni-SZML1K-TSwZ68-gBewP4-aEYaMk-7mFY4e-qJrMyk-r61CoN-pzSvDc-RT3MU8-V3cb9p-pM9qPi-aF5mby-SThhnh-nhSd9R-9mjSBW-CKyuaa-nzBodH-4U5UuA-7uXDTS-7Mp5g8-SrXpzA-RGWuHV-nBXN7E-7qarzJ-6K2p2J-5FMR5b-iGwhUj-7PGBPe-TtLFBn-nd4Mhf-aF1xVk
Cities

Building local innovation ecosystems

Introduction Cities have become increasingly important in shaping the economic and cultural life of our societies. As the number of older people living in cities continues to rise, so does the role cities play in their quality of life. Today’s cities, generally not designed with older people’s needs in mind, pose a number of unique […]

Uncategorized

Top 10 tips for partnering with startups

Wrote this article recently for the California Association of Assisted Living’s magazine – News and Views, about 10 tips for partnering with startups. Was written from the perspective of the senior living industry, but it’s fairly relevant for all sectors. Quick summary here, and more in the link. Clearly articulate the problem Get buy-in from […]

Uncategorized

How social impact bonds could trigger a new wave of innovation in aging

While there is a lot of excitement about new gadgets and solutions in the ‘age-tech’ space (with good reason, we all love shiny, new gadgets), one area that has received less attention is business model innovation. However, as the US health care system evolves towards ACOs, capped and value-based-payments, innovative business models are becoming increasingly […]