The County Council recently adopted the St. Louis County Age-Friendly Community Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy to improve the quality of life for more than 430,000 county residents.

This plan represents the completion of the first phase of the county’s participation in the Network of Age-Friendly Communities, an international initiative of AARP and the World Health Organization, according to a news release. The action plan is a result of detailed analysis, multi-faceted public engagement, and partnerships with area universities and agencies.

“I view the action plan, and the overwhelming interest generated from its creation, as the beginning of an ongoing focus on cultivating a healthy, inclusive and accessible St. Louis County for everyone who chooses to live here,” County Executive Steve Stenger stated in the release.

The action plan includes over 70 recommendations to be undertaken by county departments over the next three years at no additional cost to taxpayers. The actions address issues on four age-friendly focus areas:

• Health and well-being.

• Social and civic engagement.

• Mobility and accessibility.

• Safe and attractive neighborhoods.

A 24-member Citizen Advisory Task Force acted as a steering committee and helped guide development of the action plan, the release stated.

Links to the action plan and all of the supporting planning documents can be found on St. Louis

County’s Age-Friendly Community webpage at

.