Living in Zurich: A Catalyst for Change 

“I have always been motivated by making an impact,” Stefan begins. “Having lived around the world, I saw how other people live and realised how fortunate I was to grow up in Zurich. This sparked my quest to do something meaningful. I felt I could make a real difference in health, the environment, and with older people—important areas where I believe I can contribute. Bringing people from diverse backgrounds together with a common goal is immensely satisfying.” 

The Role of Honesty  

Stefan emphasises the importance of honesty in leading Zurich’s longevity project. “Honesty is crucial if we want to make progress. We need to be honest about our assumptions, our desires, and our limitations. It’s about learning and creating an organisation capable of learning. An organisation is made up of different people who must work together and communicate. Only in a space where it is safe to be honest and share what’s really going on can we achieve good results. This is at the core of what we are trying to do in Zurich.” 

Human Connection Over Technology 

While acknowledging the promise of technology, Stefan believes in the power of human connections. “In the end, it’s about people, connections, community, warmth, and exchange. Studies show that human connection is hugely beneficial in all aspects of health. We encourage people to volunteer across generations and create spaces where people can share.” 

Neighborhood Initiatives, a catalyst for change 

One initiative Stefan highlights is the neighborhood inspection walks. “We invite everyone in the neighborhood—young people, older people, organisations, key people working in these areas—to join us in assessing how age-friendly the neighborhood is. This can be a catalyst for change. At the end of the walk, we invite everyone to share ideas. People start setting up WhatsApp groups and meeting regularly. It’s exciting to see that simply bringing people together can create connections and new friendships. This illustrates the city’s role in creating platforms for people to come together.” 

Balancing Scalability and Innovation 

Stefan discusses the challenge of balancing scalability with innovation. “As a city government, we have a responsibility to make our projects scalable. However, for immediate experiences and real learning, it’s important to act small initially. Governments tend to make big plans and try to control everything, but we learn quickly by just trying things out. In our team, we ask ourselves two questions: ‘Is it good enough for now?’ and ‘Is it safe enough to try?’ Then we go. We focus on learning and refining before scaling. It’s hard for governments to do this, but there’s a lot of potential in taking this more innovative approach.” 

Challenges and Learning from People Led Approaches 

Implementing participatory approaches in government projects has proven challenging. “Engaging citizens continuously and ensuring their input is reflected in initiatives is harder than we thought. Governments have many ‘experts’ who think they know what needs to be done. Getting them to reconsider their assumptions and talk to the people they serve is really hard. We hear from our older citizens that they want to be engaged and participate, but they find it hard. We set up a group of ‘test’ people to try things out, but it wasn’t used. Keeping the focus on participatory work during implementation is still harder than we envisioned.” 

Innovative Housing Projects 

Stefan also addresses Zurich’s housing challenges and innovative living models. “Housing is a significant issue in Zurich. We conducted a study on how people want to live in the future and found a significant number wanting to try new things, like sharing space and living in purposeful settings. However, getting people to move into these new types of homes has been difficult. We’re still figuring out what went wrong—whether it’s the marketing, the location, or something else. Change is hard, and maybe we need to focus more on social connections from the start.” 

City-wide Collaboration and International Exchange 

Stefan appreciates the value of collaboration and learning from other cities. “Zurich is committed to a comprehensive focus and collaboration to create a holistic view. We’re excited to exchange ideas with other cities around the world. Our relative wealth allows us to try new things, but the emphasis remains on social connections and community engagement.” 

He adds, “I am very happy to have come across NiCA’s City of Longevity programme as this aligns with our goals. Exploring, sharing, and listening to other cities around the world is something we value deeply. What is special about Zurich is that we have a comprehensive focus and are committed to collaboration. I loved what Singapore is doing—a real focus on prevention and encouraging people to move, and it’s working. The focus on working with the community together to help people live well, and the unity, is inspiring. Also, Zurich is a wealthy city, so we have the funds to try things, which makes it much easier.” 

Biggest Success? Collective Energy and Dedication 

For Stefan, the biggest success lies in the collective energy and dedication of the people involved. “What motivates me most is the smart, dedicated people working together towards a common goal. Seeing this energy, positive support, and new ideas being born from this energy is the biggest success. There’s such a sense of togetherness. Despite challenges and disagreements, we can bring people back to the shared vision, and we’re all walking together.” 

Stefan Ege’s work in Zurich highlights the city’s commitment to creating a better society through honesty, community engagement, and innovative approaches. By focusing on human connections and learning through small-scale initiatives, Zurich is building a foundation for long and fulfilling lives for its citizens. Through collaboration and continuous improvement, Stefan and his team are making a lasting impact on the city’s future.