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And so. the report sees a need <br />for a coordinated effort on the <br />part of regional and local agencies <br />concerned with aging, as well as <br />the active Involvement of the area <br />agency on aging (AAA). The <br />USCM/NACo survey results, in <br />fact. show that both city and <br />county respondents viewed the <br />AAA as the agency with primary <br />responsibility for planning for the <br />elderly. <br />Local actions <br />Important as the AAAs are, es- <br />pecially in needs assessment stud- <br />ies. the report notes that many <br />city and county government units <br />have also been actively engaged in <br />planning to meet needs of older <br />residents. Three - fourths of cities <br />and counties surveyed reported <br />that they had been involved In an <br />interjurisdictional cooperative <br />effort in the planning of services <br />for the elderly. <br />The report declares: <br />"Local officials' awareness of the <br />implications of a graying suburbia, <br />as well as their knowledge of the <br />planning tools necessary to <br />accommodate these demographic <br />changes, must be increased. <br />"And. at the same time. there is <br />also a need to improve the col- <br />laboration and linkages between lo- <br />cal governments and the aging net- <br />work in order to more adequately <br />address the need for com- <br />prehensive, coordinated area -wide <br />planning and service delivery for <br />the elderly." <br />Two case study sites <br />NACo and USCM did more than <br />conduct a survey and analyze find- <br />ings. They got deep into grass- <br />roots action in two suburban/ <br />metropolitan areas for grassroots <br />information on the current and <br />projected impact of the graying of <br />suburbia. <br />One was in central Ohio, <br />encompassing the city of Colum- <br />bia and neighboring Franklin <br />County. The other was the capital <br />city of Virginia, Richmond, and <br />Henrico County. NACo/USCM staff <br />worked with local officials in each <br />site for 6 months. A key goal in <br />Poorly defined pedestrian walkways in many suburban shopping <br />malls can generate tensions so strong, and walking distances so <br />formidable, that they discourage elderly — and other — would -be <br />shoppers. <br />NCOAphotodi41LL <br />Page 45 <br />MARCH/APRIL 1989 11 <br />