While Millennials continue to flock to D.C. to save and destroy it (or simply live here), almost 30 percent of this city is over the age of 50. By 2017, officials want to make Washington an “age-friendly” city, as defined by a World Health Organization initiative, for this group of adults.

As part of a multiyear plan to meet these standards, volunteers will conduct a block-by-block walk of the entire city starting next month to identify “neighborhood assets and issues needing attention all through the lens of older D.C. residents.”

Gail Kohn, Age-Friendly D.C. Coordinator, says the walk is the result of almost a year of listening to city residents. It will be a “deeper dive” into problems that need to be reported in every corner, or more specifically Single Member District, of the city.

Here’s how it will work: At least three volunteers — two observers and a scribe — will answer specific questions about one of the city’s 299 Single Member Districts on a survey. Categories include safety, community amenities and services. The safety category, for example, seeks to find out how many police patrol the area, if there are cracked sidewalks, where sidewalks are blocked and how many drivers do not stop at stop signs, as well as the number of benches, vacant storefronts, and public restrooms. Community amenities will quantify the number of grocery stores — as well as the prices of items inside the store — banks, senior centers and parks. Services focuses on places like hospitals, pharmacies and libraries.

The walks begin on March 20, and Kohn says they hope to have all the data collected by April 15.

Sixty business groups that adopt blocks are already involved, and all Advisory Neighborhood Commissions have been invited to participate. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department have offered to walk up to 120 blocks, which Kohn says “would be great because one of the things that’s dwelled upon … is D.C. police.”

The reason for this is simple: When residents can see police, they feel safe. “If they don’t, they’re not sure,” Kohn said.

For Single Member Districts that are physically larger, there will be more than one team. (There will also be a team leader to answer questions.) One observer will be from the neighborhood, while the other may be a person with a disability. The scribe can be from any neighborhood.

Ward 6, for example, is already taken care of, thanks to the ANC. But residents from those neighborhoods can still volunteer to be part of walks in other parts of the city.

“I think it’s fun,” Kohn said of the walk. “I think it’s appealing to people because you’re walking around your own neighborhood and taking a look.”

The walk will take place every year, Kohn says, to see if changes have been perceived and made. The results will be made public.

Some of the changes are within the city’s control, Kohn says, although there needs to be a focus on the budget. For example, there’s a need for more equipment to repair sidewalks, Kohn says, partly because of the amount of trees in D.C.

Pieces of information gathered during the walk that don’t fit into the work order category will become part of a strategic plan. An Age-Friendly D.C. task force will “begin to meet in March and is expected to produce a 2017 Strategic Plan by July 2014.”

Beyond the collection of data, the walk is an opportunity to connect neighbors. “Hopefully some of this will be getting to know people,” Kohn says.

Interested people can sign up here. Training sessions are posted here.