Dangerous By Design 2022, a report issued annually by Smart Growth America, provides the most up-to-date look at the preventable epidemic of people struck and killed while walking. The report ranks the most dangerous states and metro areas in the United States based on traffic fatalities from 2016 to 2020. Continue reading
Tag Archives: community design
AARP Announces Community Challenge Grant Recipients Totaling $3.4 Million Through 260 Community Improvement Projects
AARP announced it is investing $3.4 million through 260 Community Challenge grants for quick-action projects that will help communities become more livable in the long-term. Continue reading
‘Shared Spaces and Health Equity: Lessons from a Pandemic’ from Smart Growth America Shares Examples Promoting Inclusion and Engagement
Activity-friendly streets, public spaces, and active transportation options became critical components of daily life during the COVID-19 crisis, providing avenues for physical activity, accessing essential needs and being outdoors safely.
But vulnerability during and the burden of the pandemic was not spread evenly across our communities. A field scan from Smart Growth America explores how decision-makers did (or did not) account for existing inequities in their emergency responses and identifies common barriers and lessons for the future. Some examples focus on older adults. Continue reading
MassDOT Launches Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan and Solicits Public Feedback
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is kicking off its 2050 Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan, entitled Beyond Mobility, by reaching out across the state to get residents to participate in an online survey. The survey is available at the following link (https://arcg.is/0HHyPD) and will be offered in all major languages spoken in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages age- and dementia friendly communities and stakeholders to complete and promote the survey in their networks to help raise the voice of older adults within the eventual plan. Continue reading
WalkBoston, AgeStrong Commission Contribute to Age-Friendly Street Design in Boston
WalkBoston reports that the City of Boston is currently designing the complete reconstruction of Cummins Highway in Mattapan and they are calling out the project as Age-Friendly Cummins Highway. Continue reading
Annual Report from Mass. Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease and All Other Dementias Includes Dementia Friendly Infrastructure Guidance
The Massachusetts Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease and All Other Dementias has released its annual report, which provides a summary of the Council’s progress, accomplishments, and next steps in implementing the state plan’s recommendations. Continue reading
WalkBoston Report Reveals Fatal Pedestrian Crashes Disproportionately Impact Older Adults
A report released by WalkBoston, a Massachusetts pedestrian advocacy organization and key partner for the Mass. Healthy Aging Collaborative, provides new insights evaluating where and how fatal pedestrian crashes are happening across the state, and what these patterns tell us about creating safe roads for all. Among other findings, the report shows that over half (40 of 75) of the deaths happened in just 12 municipalities. Continue reading
Age-Friendly Funding Alert: Age Strong Commission, AARP Community Challenge, MHP, Mass Humanities
The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages stakeholders and communities to consider the following funding opportunities that support inclusive age- and dementia friendly communities:
JCHS Launches ‘Housing an Aging Society’ Program
The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University (JCHS) has recently launched the Housing an Aging Society (HAS) Program. Building on research conducted on housing and aging over the past eight years, the program will examine the diverse needs of US households headed by someone older than 65, a group that will make up about a third of all US households by 2038. Continue reading
AARP Releases New Walk Audit Tool
The AARP Livable Communities team has updated their Walk Audit tool, which can help inform local decision-making by prioritizing areas in need of improvement and educating community members about the importance of street and sidewalk design. Continue reading