The term “placemaking” refers to the work of improving a particular public space or overall area to make it more of a destination and shared gathering place.
The Pop-Up Placemaking Tool Kit was created by AARP and Team Better Block to inform a broad audience of local leaders, policymakers, advocates and neighborhood residents about the many ways temporary projects can inspire positive community change. Continue reading
Bicycle lanes and parklets are fun, easy and popular pop-up projects. There are many ways to create a demonstration bike lane. Parklets — which are essentially parking spots for people rather than cars — can be created with little more than paint, plywood and some decorative accessories.
This photo album is an excerpt from The Pop-Up Placemaking Tool Kit, a free publication by AARP and the planning and design firm Team Better Block, to be released on December 4. Continue reading
For any Age- and Dementia Friendly Community advocating for intergenerational shared spaces and programming, a new report called “All In Together: Creating Spaces Where Young and Old Thrive” by Generations United and The Eisner Foundation provides some useful tools and examples from across the country. Continue reading
Over time, AARP’s Livable Communities team have released videos on various issues and projects in communities across the country.
Now, AARP has put all of those videos in one archive so stakeholders and community leaders can see everything from the basics (“What is a Livable Community?“) to bike trails and accessory dwelling units. Continue reading
According the the Milken Institute, the urban landscape already holds resources—human, organizational, and technological—that can transform aging lives. From intergenerational mixed-use neighborhoods to smart city technologies and integrated housing and healthcare models, there is progress. But too many local leaders still overlook the connection between aging policies and their cities’ vitality and sustainability.
“Age-Forward Cities for 2030” is intended by Milken Institute to offer examples for our urban future. By integrating population aging into strategies for growth, inclusion, and resiliency, cities can implement solutions that will strengthen how we grow, build, and care for generations to come. Continue reading
In their recent newsletter, AARP Livable Communities focused on cities that are “activating” their alleyways into vibrant community spaces that turn into more than a pass-through or a place people avoid.
In 2017, the community planning and design firm Team Better Block helped to reimagine a stretch of Tyler Street in Pittsfield. Continue reading
Housing inequality is becoming increasingly evident among older Americans as the number of older households climbs to unprecedented levels, according to Housing America’s Older Adults 2019, a new report being released by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.
The state’s Rural Policy Advisory Commission engaged in a comprehensive program of research and outreach over a two-year period, including listening sessions at ten locations across the Commonwealth in late 2018 and continuing in 2019 with over 20 focused stakeholder meetings to refine the information and develop the recommendations in
this first of its kind Rural Policy Plan for Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative is excited that the Commission accepted its recommendations along with input from cities, towns and stakeholders in MHAC’s network to encourage rural communities to join the Age-Friendly movement – specifically pursuing the Age- and Dementia Friendly Community Compact Program.
The Community Compact is a best practice initiative for municipalities and regions established by the Baker Administration. This program has the potential for funding support and technical assistance. One of the choices among the best practices is Age-and Dementia Friendly.
The inclusion of Age-Friendly in this report also speaks to the state’s Age-Friendly Action Plan, which endeavors to embed “aging in all policies” across agencies and initiatives.
In their recent newsletter, AARP Livable Communities shared a number of examples of cities and towns that co-located facilities to save costs and encourage inter-generational activity.
Among the examples is a co-located high school and senior center in the town of Swampscott, Mass. Continue reading