Neoliberal rationality and the age friendly cities and communities program: Reflections on the Toronto case.

Area of Science:

• Social Gerontology
• Urban Planning
• Political Science

Background:

• The Age Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCCs) program aims to expand the social contract between senior citizens and the state.
• Existing research indicates discrepancies between AFCC program goals and their actual implementation.
• These implementation gaps are often linked to cost-cutting measures associated with neoliberal austerity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how neoliberalism influences the Age Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCCs) program.
• To analyze the specific neoliberal techniques (benchmarking, governance, devolution, responsibilization) within the AFCC program in Toronto.
• To understand how neoliberalism fundamentally reshapes the social contract for senior citizens.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of the Age Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCCs) program in Toronto.
• Application of Brown's (2015) framework on neoliberal governing rationalities.
• Examination of neoliberal techniques such as benchmarking, governance, devolution, and responsibilization.

Main Results:

• Neoliberalism impacts AFCC program design and implementation through governing rationalities, not solely economic austerity.
• Techniques like benchmarking and responsibilization are evident in Toronto's AFCC program.
• These neoliberal approaches fundamentally alter the social contract for older adults.

Conclusions:

• Neoliberalism's influence on AFCCs goes beyond austerity, affecting program design and the social contract.
• The study identifies problems within Toronto's AFCC program stemming from neoliberal rationalities.
• Tensions and dissent towards neoliberalism create opportunities for alternative governance models that strengthen the social contract.