In comparison to other cities and the country as a whole, Yogyakarta leads the way in achieving the goal of an Elderly-Friendly City by 2030 in the Social Participation Dimension.

These are a few findings from the 2013 Elderly-Friendly City Assessment Study, which was presented by SurveyMETER on Thursday, March 6, 2013, to the Yogyakarta City Government. The City of Yogyakarta is one of the study's samples.

"One Step towards the Dream of an Elderly Friendly City for the Elderly in 2030" was the topic of a restricted workshop event that included diffusion activities, similar to those held in Payakumbuh and Denpasar. The session took place on the first floor of the Yogyakarta Mayor's Office Meeting Room. Dra. Maria Kanisia Pontjosiwi Warsikengsih, the Assistant for General Administration of the Yogyakarta City Regional Secretary, was in attendance at the event. She was happy to open it and give written remarks on behalf of the Mayor of Yogyakarta, along with representatives from several other SKPDs and related SKPDs like BAPEDDA and Health Service. The administrators of the District Elderly Committees around Yogyakarta City, the administrators of the Yogyakarta City Regional Elderly Committee, and representatives from CIMB Niaga Bank were also present. Edy Purwanto SP, M.Sc., moderated a series of dissemination events, and Dr. Ir Ni Wayan Suriastini M. Phil, Executive Director of SurveyMETER, and Bondan Sikoki MA, SurveyMETER Trustees, provided the dissemination materials. SurveyMETER and CAS UI institutions served as the study implementers.

In her opening remarks, Suriastini said that the Special Region of Yogyakarta now has the greatest proportion of senior citizens in all of Indonesia. This is a result of the family planning, health, and outmigration initiatives' high success rates in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. As a result, Yogyakarta was one of the cities evaluated by researchers from SurveyMETER and the Center for Aging Studies, University of Indonesia (CAS UI) regarding its suitability to meet the WHO criteria for an Elderly-Friendly City.

The research conducted in the City of Yogyakarta yielded positive findings, with 48% of the city meeting the WHO's requirements for an elderly-friendly city. Better than the 43% overall status in 14 Indonesian cities. Social Participation, with a score of 64%, is the most prominent Elderly Friendly City component in Yogyakarta. It is followed by the Community Support and Health Services dimension, which comes in at 63%, and the Respect and Social Inclusion dimension, which stands at 58%. In comparison to the overall state of other Indonesian cities, these three aspects are likewise leading. The City of Yogyakarta and Indonesia as a whole still fall short in the following areas: buildings and open spaces (40%), transportation (43%), housing (31%), civic participation and employment (19%), and housing.

Similar to the previous city, the study's findings provide a roadmap for turning this one into an elderly-friendly city by 2030. The plan calls for beginning with the enhancement of low-achievement metrics, which don't require a lot of funding, and involve all relevant parties. If necessary, according to Suriastini, the study's findings will provide the evaluations, information, and suggestions required for 2030 city planning that would make it an elderly-friendly community. Above all, though, in order to make Yogyakarta City an Elderly Friendly City by 2030, the city administration and other stakeholders must make a commitment.

Additionally, a variety of SKPD officials responded to this little workshop event. A number of SKPD leaders expressed their gratitude and acknowledged the Elderly-Friendly City Capacity Assessment Study's significant assistance. In the meantime, Dra Suprantini, a BAPPEDA spokesperson, announced that the organization has planned a number of Elderly Friendly City initiatives pertaining to the health and empowerment of senior citizens for the Yogyakarta City APBD of 2013–2014.  [JF]