Close the longevity gap and build prosperity

In 1964, Frank Sinatra crooned, ‘Chicago is my kind of town,’ and its mine too.

This beautiful city, which sits on shores of Lake Michigan is home to incredibly diverse people and architecture, as well as many of the innovations that propelled humankind forward. Its people have invented or introduced the world to many things that we take for granted to day, including the zipper, electricity, the dishwasher, the car radio, and even the mobile phone.

Chicago, like most major cities, has a relatively young population. Only 12.7% of its resident are over the age of 65, while the state of Illinois is closer to the national average at 16.7%. This mismatch can obscure regional or national demographic realities of the Super Age, and may get in the way of innovating for this new era too. Age-bias can creep into nearly every decision in business, including workforce retention and recruitment, product and service design, and marketing and communications.

Chicago also has the nefarious designation of being the city with the largest longevity gap in the United States. Thirty years and nine miles (14 kilometers) separate the neighborhoods of Streeterville and Englewood, which have life expectancies of 90 and 60 respectively. For reference, a 60-year life expectancy is what is expected in sub-saharan Africa, and not in a modern and developed economy.

Chicago should apply its history of invention and innovation to close the longevity gap and create a city that is more just and equitable. This will require investments along the life course from education to health care, as well as creating greater access to economic opportunity in all of its neighborhoods.

Greater equality leads to shared prosperity. We can improve the human condition in this city and around the world.