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HERE, JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF FUN, AGE-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS THAT GET PEOPLE OUTDOORS WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS COLD. WINTRY COPENHAGEN Winter is rotten in Denmark. Think icy rain and

monotonously gray skies. The sun does not rise until mid-morning, and it's dark again at 4 p.m. Yet Danes rank among the world's happiest people, and the capital city of Copenhagen

buzzes with street life all winter long. How do they do it?  "Cultures and climates differ all over the world, but people are the same. They will gather in public if you give them a

good place to do it," explains Jan Gehl, a renowned expert on livable cities. Gehl explains that Copenhagen has extended its "nice weather" season by two full months in both

the fall and the spring by adding heaters, supplying blankets and cozying things up with candles for people who want to continue to sit outside at sidewalk tables. AGING IN PLACE For many

people, southern sunshine and warmth is no match for staying put in one's home and hometown — regardless of how low the mercury drops. Read Local landscape architects pay meticulous

attention to patterns of wind and sunshine so people can comfortably stay outdoors in parks and squares. One of the best ways to do this is with moveable chairs, so people can scoot this way

or that to bask in the sunshine or duck out of the wind. OUTDOOR FUN Berlin, Germany, sets up bocce ball courts in the snow. Minneapolis, Minnesota, sponsors the Loppet, an urban

cross-country ski festival and 35K ice-cycle bike race through the heart of town. In Ottawa, Canada, the canals become the focal point of civic life as people don ice skates for a chance to

skate through a wintry landscape rather than just making circles around a rink or pond. FROZEN FESTIVALS Winter carnivals are a great tradition that spice up the doldrums of January and

February. St. Paul, Minnesota, has been throwing a mid-winter bash for more than 100 years, complete with a torchlight parade where precision drill teams march in formation pushing

snowblowers. Burlington, Vermont, throws its own frozen but lively Mardi Gras celebration. About every 10 years St. Paul builds an ice palace and the whole town turns out to celebrate.

Harbin, China, does things on a bigger scale with dozens of massive castles and statues every January at its month-long International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. LET THE LIGHTS SHINE

Darkness, as much as cold and snow, can curtail people's enjoyment of the outdoors during winter. Some cities respond by artistically stringing lights throughout business districts,

creating an overall ambience of delight that makes people want to linger outside even when it is chilly. And the lights stay on all winter, not just during the holiday season. In Edinburgh,

Scotland, streets feel cozier thanks to an illuminated "roof" of lights shining overhead. In France, the city of Paris creates a winter wonderland by lighting trees with pale blue

lights that create a dramatic effect.  "Every store in Paris tries to outdo the others with artistic lighting displays," reports Ethan Kent of Project for Public Spaces. _Jay

Walljasper is a writer, speaker and consultant on how to make communities more successful, lively and fun. He is author of the "Great Neighborhood Book" and lives in Minneapolis —

year-round!_ _Published November 2015_