Toward the 2027 World Longevity Summit: Longevity as a Collective Achievement

Living longer is one of the major transformations of our time. It concerns health, but also cities, welfare systems, relationships, and the conditions that enable people to live those extra years with independence, well-being, and active participation.

It is with this in mind that Alleanza per la Grande Età is participating in the lead-up to the World Longevity Summit 2027, an international forum dedicated to new models of longevity and to fostering dialogue among scientific research, prevention, technological innovation, public policy, and quality of life.

From September 15 to 18, a Japanese delegation connected to the first edition of the Summit, held in Kyotango, will be in Italy for a series of meetings coordinated by Professor Stefania Bandini of the University of Milan-Bicocca. This initiative is part of Italy’s bid to host the second edition of the World Longevity Summit in 2027 and also examines the role of cities as ecosystems capable of integrating health, research, welfare, and regional development.

On September 18, the series will make a stop in Milan, featuring an in-depth discussion focused specifically on the work of Alleanza per la Grande Età and the local organizations that are exploring new ways to address the changes associated with longevity.

Longevity as an Urban and Social Issue

At the heart of the Alliance lies a clear stance: longevity is a multifaceted phenomenon—certainly not limited to demographics or health alone.

In Milan, more than 28% of the population is over 65 years old; more than 100,000 older adults live alone; and approximately 90,000 family caregivers provide daily care, often without adequate recognition. These figures directly challenge the way a city organizes its services, relationships, and responses to people’s needs.

At the same time, Milan boasts a widespread pool of expertise. Yet foundations, universities, social service providers, cultural institutions, and health care services still too often operate in a fragmented manner. The Alliance’s goal is to connect and systematize existing responses, rather than create new ones.

Sponsored by the Ravasi Garzanti Foundation in collaboration with various local partners, the Alliance for the Golden Years is a civic and philanthropic initiative that brings together diverse stakeholders, expertise, and resources to build a community-based welfare ecosystem dedicated to longevity.

A question that concerns all aging cities

The collaboration with Kyotango gives this experience an international dimension.

This Japanese city has long been associated with studies on the longevity of its population and offers a different perspective on an issue that does not depend on a single factor. Diet, physical activity, preventive care, social relationships, environmental quality, and access to services all contribute to determining how long people live and how they experience those extra years.

Bringing together experiences from different contexts and scientific evidence from internationally renowned scholars means comparing data, policies, practices, and models that can bridge the gap between research and everyday life.

Alongside Alleanza per la Grande Età and the CuraMI & ProteggiMI initiative, the program for September 18 will thus bring together projects and organizations working in the fields of research, cognitive decline and support for caregivers, community participation, culture, and the care of shared spaces. There will also be tours of the facilities and workshops of ParteciPrato APS and FantaOrto, offering a close-up look at initiatives where welfare, community, and the local area intersect.

The Alliance for the Golden Years thus enters the international arena as an open initiative, one to be shared and put to the test.

Lifespans are getting longer. The question is: What kind of social, urban, technological, and relational environments are we capable of building around our longer lives?

The complete program for the Toward World Longevity Summit 2027 is available here.