AARP’s Livable Communities Agenda The Move Toward Enhancing Mobility and Housing Options in America Workshop: Universal Design: An Investment for Aging in Place, in the Workplace, and in Play 1 February 2006, St. Petersburg, FL Presenter: Robert Hodder, Senior Policy Advisor, AARP

 Examining  Building  Re-engineering A new agenda for......our communities

 Economic Security  Health and Supportive Services  Livable Communities  Global Aging AARP’s Social Impact Agenda— the next Ten Years

 Americans 50+ are able to sustain mobility as they age  Americans 50+ have appropriate and affordable housing options AARP’s Social Impact Agenda For Livable Communities

A Livable Community Fosters INDEPENDENCE and ENGAGEMENT:  Affordable and appropriate housing  Supportive community services  A range of mobility options  Access to volunteer opportunities  Physical accessibility

Community Engagement Contributes to and results from successful aging:  Social encounters with neighbors  Volunteer service  Civic action  Political, religious participation  Links to groups, clubs, hobbies  Physical activities

What is “Successful Aging”?  Involvement with world & other people  Ability to make choices that affect life  Ability to care for one’s self  Ability to pursue hobbies, interests  Not feeling isolated Adapted from the literature on gerontology by the AARP Public Policy Institute

Successful Aging   Community Engagement High Engagement Moderate Engagement Low Engagement I am satisfied with my life the majority of the time 87%79%56% I am able to make choices about things that affect how I age 80%70%56% I have been able to influence others’ lives in positive ways 81%60%41% I have a high quality of life 85%69%46% I am able to meet all of my needs and some of my wants 78%71%48% Percent who “Strongly agree”

Key Findings

The Beyond Survey  People whose homes do not meet their physical needs are less likely to age successfully A Key Finding

Figure 6: Housing of Persons Age 50 and Older Source: AARP analysis of Census Bureau's 2003 American Housing Survey Majority of 50+ live in Single-Family Houses

Source: AARP/Roper Public Affairs and Media group of NOP World, N=1005 Beyond Survey, 2004 Q45. Does your current home have... Many Homes Lack Needed Features

Right Housing  Better Success Scores Source: AARP/Roper Public Affairs and Media group of NOP World, Beyond survey, N=1005 Q46. Considering the items we just covered, how well do you think your home is able to meet your physical needs as you grow older? Q40. Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statements…

Source: AARP/Roper Public Affairs and Media group of NOP World, Beyond Survey, 2004 N=1005 Q8. Now I’d like to ask a question about your home. Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: “What I’d really like to do is stay in my current residence for as long as possible” 50+ Prefer to Stay in Current Home

The Beyond Survey  Lack of affordable housing can make it difficult to remain in one’s community A Key Finding

Source: AARP analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2001 Housing Costs Top Budgets

The Beyond Survey  Poor community features linked to lower indicators of successful aging A Key Finding

1/3+ lack Transit, Trails, Sidewalks Give a “D” or “F” on Mobility Features Percent of Respondents 38%35% 31%

Figure 14: Poor Community Grades are Associated with Lower Levels of Successful Aging Low Grades  Low Successful Aging Source: AARP/Roper Public Affairs and Media group of NOP World, Beyond survey, N=1005 Q46. Considering the items we just covered, how well do you think your home is able to meet your physical needs as you grow older? Q40. Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statements… A D or F

The Beyond Survey  50+ who don’t drive have significantly lower levels of outside interaction than drivers 50+ A Key Finding

Source: AARP/Roper Public Affairs and Media group of NOP World, Beyond Survey, 2004 N=899 N=106 Figure 22: Nondrivers Miss Events Much More Often Than Drivers Nondrivers Miss More Events, More Often Never Drivers Nondrivers Frequently

Source: AARP/Roper Public Affairs and Media group of NOP World, Beyond Survey, 2004 Nondrivers Not Aging as Successfully

The Beyond Survey  Mobility options allow 50+ nondrivers to stay connected to their communities A Key Finding

Source: National Household Travel Survey, 2001 Nondrivers Have ½ the Outings All 50+MaleFemale

Majority Still Drive even after 75 Source: National Household Travel Survey, 2001

Major Recommendations Creating Environments for Successful Aging

Toward Livable Communities 1.Encourage community engagement by promoting social involvement in: Organization memberships Volunteer service Community & facility planning Major Recommendations

Toward Livable Communities 2.Promote design and modification of housing to meet physical needs of older people Major Recommendations

Toward Livable Communities 3.Ensure an adequate supply of diverse, affordable housing environments Major Recommendations

Toward Livable Communities 4.Promote community features that enhance safety and inclusiveness for people of all ages and abilities Major Recommendations

Toward Livable Communities 5.Improve the travel environment and support life-long driver education to ensure safer driving for all ages Major Recommendations

Toward Livable Communities 6.Take positive steps now to enhance mobility options for people with differing functional abilities  Public transportation/paratransit  Organized private transportation  Walking and bicycling  Specialized transportation Major Recommendations

The Promise of the New Agenda Mobility is about having access to places for goods and services Means to achieve mobility  Enhanced transportation options (e.g., universal design) and,  Restructuring/refining the matrix of places (e.g., community design)  Basic principle—land uses generate trips

The Promise of the New Agenda Names for this new agenda Smart Growth Livable Communities New Urbanism (Neo-traditionalism) Congress for New Urbanism

The Promise of the New Agenda Techniques  Mix Land Uses  Mix Housing Types  Expand pedestrian infrastructure  Enhance transportation choices (e.g., family)  Traffic-calming  Transit-oriented development  Change the regulatory structures to support new arrangements

The Promise of the New Agenda Existing Conditions  Suburban nation and growing (e.g., sprawl)  Urban 1920  Suburban 1970  People spending more time “stuck in traffic” (e.g., congestion and frustration)  Dominance of the single-occupancy vehicle (more than one vehicle for every licensed driver)  Urban/Suburban split  “Hole in the doughnut”  Edge cities  Aging Baby-Boomers  In 2000, 35 million 65+  In 2030, 71 million 65+ (1 in 5 Americans)

The Promise of the New Agenda Growing constituent support for these policies in urban, suburban and rural areas. Levels of Analysis/Action for Livable Communities  The Region (Metropolis, City, and Town)  The Neighborhood, District, and Corridor  The Block, Street, and Building

Building Livable Communities PRODUCTS-  A family of transportation services that enhance mobility and  A reshaped built environment that allows for greater choice, independence, and control PROCESS-involve public and private sector constituencies across disciplines