Reimagining Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities for 21st Century Cities 

A collage of four images showing diverse older adults embracing and smiling. The first pair includes two women hugging indoors, the second image shows an elderly couple outdoors, the third captures two women with gray hair hugging and laughing, and the fourth group of three people is sitting outside at a table, enjoying each other's company in a relaxed setting.

About

Many older people living in the community can be found clustered in buildings that have a high concentration of older people. These naturally occurring retirement communities, or NORCs, create natural opportunities to efficiently deliver on-site social support and health services in new and creative ways. Enhancing NORCs through such service delivery enables older adults to stay socially connected and in their homes longer and supports an upstream, public health approach to aging that prevents many problems from occurring in the first place, rather than reacting downstream with costly and unsustainable healthcare.

There are close to 2,000 NORC high-rise buildings in Ontario alone, but their potential remains unrealized.  

A tall residential apartment building with multiple stories, surrounded by trees and pink flowers in the foreground. The building stands under a clear blue sky, with windows visible on each floor, creating a bright and inviting atmosphere.
A group of older adults sitting in a circle during a discussion. The woman in the center holds a notepad and pen, appearing to facilitate the conversation, while the other participants listen attentively. The room is bright with natural light and plants in the background, creating a calm atmosphere.

What works best to support older adults to age in place? 

Reimagining Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) for 21st Century Cities is a joint research study by Women’s Age Lab at Women’s College Hospital, the NORC Innovation Centre (NIC) at the University Health Network (UHN), in partnership with the City of Toronto, City of Barrie, Barrie Housing and others. Working together, this research project aims to evaluate the implementation of UHN’s Ambassador program for older adults living in NORCs. This study will help us to learn about aging in place by evaluating the implementation of support programs, and their impact on social connections, physical activity, and nutrition for people living within a NORC. The information we learn can help us understand how these programs work and what conditions help them succeed and be sustainable.  

This project takes a data and community-driven approach, informed by implementation science, to study the implementation of NORC programs at sites in two Canadian cities, with the goal of generating evidence that can inform the implementation of NORC enhancements across Canada.   

This first-of-its-kind six-year project will reimagine aging in place and deliver practical tools to support the successful and equitable spread and scale of this model across Canada and internationally. 

We are studying how enhanced services and supports can help older adults age safely and well at home.
- Working with many partners 
- Focused on helping older adults remain in their homes as they age
- Studying how services and supports are implemented and what determines their success

Barrie: Mid sized city, approximately 160,000 people, 2 sites
Toronto: Large urban city, approximately 3 million people, 8 sites
Aging in the right place is having the services and supports you need to live safely and independently in your home for as long as you wish and are able

Our Vision:
Health Services: on-site clinical services, drop-in health and wellness programs, group health clinics
Digital Literacy: Digital literacy, community supports
Social Engagement and Physical Activity: Recreational community building, social engagement, mutual support network
Healthy Eating: Access to fresh produce, cooking groups/classes to promote healthy eating