Abstract
This is a report on the findings of a yearlong, qualitative study of healthy aging in
Greenfield and Waltham Massachusetts. The research asked how these two small
cities, of about 17,000 and 60,000 residents respectively, support healthy aging and
how they could do better. An additional research question asked, what do seniors1 do
to be healthy and foster a healthy community? The study used a broad definition of
healthy aging that went beyond simply having good health and access to health care,
but included a variety of community characteristics and healthy behaviors.