Paper short abstract:

Broad acceptance of “age-friendly communities” as socially desirable places rests on complex, culturally-variable ideas and values. This paper will trace the effectiveness of media and marketing efforts to engage public imaginations in the age-friendly movement.

Paper long abstract:

Broad acceptance of "age-friendly communities" as socially desirable places must rest on complex, culturally-variable ideas about aging, interdependence, and intergenerational responsibility across the life course. Whether original or retro-fitted, such communities reflect the public policies, economic structures, and local values that enable them to develop and thrive. Following Andreas Huyssen's (2008) discussion of "urban imaginaries" and how citizens' perceptions inform and inspire local action and promote transnational awareness, translation, and expansion, this paper will trace the effectiveness of media and marketing efforts to engage public imaginations in the age-friendly community movement. Taking into account a range of social-historical and political-economic contexts, visual and text-based examples drawn primarily from North America will be used to identify key values that enable the age-friendly concept to enter local dialogues about what community can and should mean.