We’re All in This Together
June 26, 2019
Over the past month, I have attended a couple of events worth talking about: Turning the Tide: Connecting for Resiliency (Climate Ready SMC Collaborative Convening #4), which is a series of conversations about climate change sponsored by the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability; and A Celebration for Age Friendly San Mateo (hosted by Supervisor David Canepa). Both of these events were well-attended and very informative.
Whether you believe we are in an era of climate change or not, it is always best to be prepared. Most climate change experts believe we are living in a climate change world now. According to some experts, based on the cyclical pattern of the earth’s movement around the sun, we should now be experiencing global cooling – not warming. Some people think that the warming may be caused by solar activity, but records show that solar activity has not increased in the last 65 years. Climate change is a controversial topic in today’s politics, and this County initiative brings leaders from various jurisdictions and sectors, such as non-profit and community-based organizations, local government, and businesses, together to encourage collaboration and to brainstorm solutions to help our County become more knowledgeable and ready for what may come.
The Collaborative’s goal is to help participants understand the County’s current challenges and the future risks to our residents and infrastructure from climate hazards, such as extreme heat and rising temperatures, increased rainfall and intensifying storms, and increasing number of wildfires. By understanding our current challenges and risks, we can be better prepared to develop and apply policies, projects and programs that will help us plan and prepare for any catastrophic events. This initiative also encourages dialogue and coordination to develop effective approaches in engaging our communities in responding to any effects resulting from rising sea levels and other weather-related events.
I have been an advocate for age-friendly cities for a while now. In November of last year, I attended a Peninsula Round Table luncheon for a talk about age-friendly cities by Dr. Anabel Pelham, the Founding Director of the Center for Age-Friendly Excellence (CAFE). CAFE’s mission is to “advance transformational change to create vibrant, sustainable, supportive and inclusive communities for all generations.” The vision of this initiative consists of eight “domains,” which are community support and health services, outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, and communication and information.
This is a World Health Organization initiative. Los Altos and Los Altos Hills were the first city and town to be certified as age-friendly in California. The first three pilots in San Mateo County were in Redwood City, Pacifica, and Daly City. At the Age Friendly Cities Celebration, the Mayors of these three cities presented their pilot programs and progress. Included in Redwood City’s program were a pop-up nightclub, game nights, and classes on the use of digital devices taught by the younger generation to seniors. Pacifica’s programs include housing symposiums providing seniors with various housing options, affordable transportation for seniors, and celebrating businesses who provide age-friendly services. Communication services in Daly City’s program includes an improved website that shows all services for seniors and providing televisions in its community center so seniors may have access to televised Council meetings and other news programs. Daly City will also be implementing annual housing summits to discuss access to various housing programs.
At the end of the Age Friendly Cities Celebration, Supervisor David Canepa announced that Foster City will be one of the next three pilots in San Mateo County. This is very exciting news. It will take a lot of hard work, but Foster City will face the challenge to improve our city for everyone, young and old alike. I look forward to assisting with the implementation of our pilot program and would welcome suggestions from you. Together, we can develop a plan that will make our city a certified age friendly city.
Remember that I am working for you and the betterment of our city. If you have any ideas or suggestions, I am always available for a chat. You can contact me at cmahanpour@fostercity.org. I look forward to hearing from you.
