On Wednesday, December 6, 2013, SurveyMETER and CAS UI conducted the second dissemination of the findings from the Capacity Assessment Study for Elderly Friendly Cities in Denpasar City, Bali Province. Similar to the first dissemination in Payakumbuh, the Denpasar dissemination efforts were bundled into a small-scale workshop event with the topic "One Step towards the Dream of an Elderly-Friendly City in 2030". The Denpasar Mayor, IB Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra, along with SKPD representatives from the Denpasar City Government and several observers of aging-related issues in Bali Province, including Prof. Dr. Luh Suryani SpKJ(K), Director of the Suryani Institute and Werdha Sejahtera Bali Foundation, attended this workshop, which was held in the meeting room of the Denpasar Mayor. Bondan Sikoki MA (a SurveyMETER Trustee) and Dr. Ir. Ni Wayan Suriastini, M. Phil (the Executive Director of SurveyMETER), speaking on behalf of the SurveyMETER and CAS UI institutions, presented the disseminating materials.

Dr. Ir. Ni Wayan Suriastini, M. Phil, the Executive Director of SurveyMETER and the principal investigator of this study, stated during this restricted workshop that the findings of this research might assist local governments in formulating policies to build Elderly Friendly Cities by 2030. Denpasar City is one of the fourteen sample cities in Indonesia that were evaluated, comprising both large and small cities. The aim of the evaluation is if the city satisfies the requirements for being an Elderly Friendly City, as stated in the WHO Age Friendly Cities Guideline published in 2002. Eight elements are included in the WHO guideline checklist: Housing, Transportation, Social Participation, Civic Participation and Employment, Respect and Social Involvement, Buildings and Open Spaces, Communication and Information, Community Support, and Health. This study uses a list of 95 important indicators for elderly-friendly cities as reported by WHO.

According to Suriastini, the outcome of a research done in Denpasar City between January and March 2013 indicated that Denpasar City met 42% of the WHO's requirements for an Elderly Friendly City. In fourteen Indonesian cities, the overall condition is the same. In Depasar City, the Community Support and Health Services dimension is the most senior-friendly city component, scoring 56%. Social Participation comes in second with 53%, followed by Communication and Information with 52%. Three aspects of an Elderly-Friendly City remain deficient in Denpasar City, as well as throughout Indonesia: buildings and open spaces (31.1%), transportation (33%), and civic participation and employment (17%). It is important to emphasize that Denpasar City's transportation status is just 33%, which is less than the 40% national average for Indonesia.

Suriastini presented a plan for an Elderly-Friendly City 2030 at the conclusion of the event. The proposed approach entails enhancing metrics with low attainment, little financial requirements, and full stakeholder participation. In the event that they are required, the study's findings provide the evaluation, information, and suggestions required for developing plans for an elderly-friendly city by 2030. Suriastini continued, "But above all, what is required is a commitment from the city government and other stakeholders to make Denpasar an Elderly-Friendly City by 2030."

In response to the study's findings, the mayor and the SKPD of the Denpasar City Government showed their gratitude by launching an instant improvement initiative for indicators that are simple to use and seamlessly connected with other initiatives like the Child-Friendly City program.

By 2030, let's work together to make Denpasar City an elderly-friendly city. (JF)