This question is asked and answered by Peter Boston at Best Syndication.
"City planning specialists, MDs and aging consultants of all types are thinking about the need to revamp the suburbs to better accommodate the swelling numbers of baby boomers who stuck down family roots there decades ago.
Suburbs can be hostile to boomers because of the high dependency on the car to get around or even accomplish basic tasks like grocery shopping. For most suburban areas reliable public transportation is a rarity to nonexistent. Cars are expensive to buy, expensive to insure, and expensive to maintain. For the boomer on a fixed income whose first non-health related priority is home maintenance, reliable vehicle transportation can become problematic. The loss of transportation leads directly to a loss of independence, frustration and ultimately loss of quality of life.