The City of Graz has been a pioneer in shaping a good life for older adults for many years. In 1996, Austria’s first Senior Citizens’ Office was established here. It has developed into a central contact point for older people, offering counselling, information, courses, workshops, and a coordinated volunteer programme with around 30 active volunteers. Another focus is networking and cooperation with various stakeholders involved in older adult services in Graz.

As part of the project ‘We ALL – Age-Friendly and Worth Living,’ an assessment of the current age-friendliness of the city was conducted (We ALL – Status Assessment Graz 2025). Based on this, measures, projects, and services are being developed or improved. The main topics are:

• Housing: Support for living at home and for alternative forms of housing (assisted living, senior citizen shared apartments)
• Mobility: Barrier-free infrastructure (especially walkways footpaths…), affordable mobility, and better orientation in public spaces.
• Public spaces: Accessible and usable areas for social encounters.
• Health and prevention: Cooperation with municipal and external partners, improved accessibility, and a strong focus on prevention.
• Social participation: Local services, neighbourhood initiatives, visiting services, and support for caring communities.
• Communication and information: Expansion of analogue and digital information channels, digital inclusion training/ training for digital participation. E.g. in form of the opportunity to participate in free “Digicafes”, offered at various locations.
• Respect and inclusion: Promoting positive images of ageing, counteracting discrimination, and fostering intergenerational projects.
• Engagement and employment: Making voluntary work more visible, expanding low-threshold opportunities for engagement and strengthening central coordination.

Demographic trends show that the proportion of older people in Graz continues to rise, as does the diversity of the population. Graz addresses these challenges with a holistic approach based on participation, networking, and structural development. Based on the assessment, services will continue to be developed and implemented. Planned actions include the creation of the “Age-friendly Graz 2040 Guideline” and the expansion of the Senior Citizens’ Office into a central Senior Information Service (SIS).