Model D, MLive Detroit, and WDET announce collaborative series about aging in Detroit

It's no secret: as the Baby Boom generation grows older, the share of the United States' population that is elderly will increase dramatically. Detroit and Southeast Michigan are no exceptions to this demographic shift. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments forecasts that nearly a quarter of the region's population will be 65 or older by 2040.

Yet despite these forecasts, far too little of our public discourse has been devoted to issues related to planning for an increasingly older population. That's why Model D has joined MLive Detroit and WDET 101.9FM Detroit in a project we are calling "Aging Together."

Over the course of the summer, we plan on exploring issues facing older adults in Detroit -- from transit to housing to safety to placemaking.

While the challenges facing our city's elderly residents are great, we believe the opportunities to provide for their needs are equally great. We intend to use this series to also explore how Detroit can position itself to be a city of choice for those who will grow old here.

After all, if we can work toward building places in our city that create a high quality of life for seniors, won't we in turn be creating a high quality of life for all residents?

Please follow the "Aging Together" blog for new stories from Model D, MLive Detroit, and WDET.

You can read Model D's first feature in this series here.

Aging Together is a summer-long project between MLive Detroit, WDET 101.9FM Detroit and Model D Media that explores the issues of older adults in Detroit, Southeast Michigan and the state.