BARBARA COTTER

What would it take to make Colorado Springs a “remarkable” place to age?

How about more intergenerational programs? Or greater collaboration among private, public and nonprofit agencies to address transportation issues? Perhaps a self-sustaining intergenerational development could be a part of the mix. While we’re at it, toss in a few neighborhood wellness centers.

The ideas for turning Colorado Springs into a nirvana for seniors filled up dozens of flip-chart pages as a group of about 150 community leaders met Wednesday to brainstorm “innovations in aging.” The issue is urgent, organizers say, because Americais about to experience a “silver tsunami” as the senior population crests, and Colorado Springs needs to be prepared to catch the wave.

“We want to stimulate that out-of-the-box thinking: What can we do to plan ahead?” said C.J. Moore, a spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente and member of the steering committee for the Innovations in Aging Summit.

The seeds for the daylong summit were planted about two years ago, when a few people started talking about making Colorado Springs more senior friendly in advance of the impending demographic shift. The group got more people involved, including Pam Shockley-Zalabak, chancellor of the University of Coloradoat Colorado Springs.

“Clearly, we need to take action. We are an aging community,” Shockley-Zalabak told the crowd Wednesday.

Early in the day, participants broke into groups to brainstorm ideas tied to six broad topics: arts and culture; wellness and recreation; urban planning and transportation; economic opportunities; living communities; and learning for life. No idea was considered off-limits for being too preposterous or unworkable, although one of the workshop leaders, Pam Shipp, said the goal at the end of the day was to come up with a realistic plan and “shovel ready” projects.

Later in the day, the six small groups met again to refine some of the ideas and handed over seven to the steering committee.

In the next few weeks, the committee and several other summitparticipants will meet to review the ideas and move them forward, said Toby Gannett, a steering committee member and executive director of The Palisades at Broadmoor Park senior living center.

“It’s changing today into action that will make the summit a success,” said Gannett, who declined to say which seven ideas are being pursued.