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where we live PDF

99 Pages·2016·14.5 MB·English
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WHERE COMMUNITIES FOR ALL AGES WE 100+ INSPIRING IDEAS FROM AMERICA’S MAYORS LIVE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY, BY NANCY LEAAMMOND STATE AND NATIONAL AFFAIRS, AARP CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 ENVIRONMENT FRESH AIR, CLEAN WATER AND OPEN SPACES 30 AARP TOOL KIT FOR CREATING Spotlight on Atlanta, Georgia 35 GREAT COMMUNITIES 5 Berkeley, California 36 Bridgeport, Connecticut 36 HOUSING SAFE, AFFORDABLE, Cheyenne, Wyoming 37 ACCESSIBLE 6 Des Moines, Iowa 37 Spotlight on Boston, Massachusetts 11 Evansville, Indiana 38 New York City 12 Laredo, Texas 38 Oakland, California 13 Madison, Wisconsin 38 Salt Lake City, Utah 13 Minneapolis, Minnesota 39 San Diego, California 14 New Bedford, Massachusetts 39 Schenectady, New York 14 New Orleans, Louisiana 40 Washington, DC 14 Raleigh, North Carolina 40 Salt Lake County, Utah 40 TRANSPORTATION CONVENIENT San Diego, California 40 AND SAFE OPTIONS 16 St. Louis, Missouri 41 Spotlight on Omaha, Nebraska 21 Yonkers, New York 41 Altamonte Springs, Florida 22 Atlanta, Georgia 22 HEALTH FROM FOOD TO FITNESS 42 Birmingham, Alabama 23 Spotlight on Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 47 Burlington, Vermont 23 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 48 Chattanooga, Tennessee 24 Charleston, West Virginia 49 Clarksville, Tennessee 24 Eugene, Oregon 49 Jersey City, New Jersey 25 Fort Worth, Texas 49 Los Angeles, California 25 Hernando, Mississippi 50 Macon-Bibb, Georgia 26 Houston, Texas 50 New York City, New York 26 Lansing, Michigan 50 Phoenix, Arizona 27 Louisville, Kentucky 50 San Diego, California 27 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 50 San Francisco, California 28 Phoenix, Arizona 51 Seattle, Washington 28 Portland, Maine 51 Utica, New York 29 Spencer, Iowa 52 West Hartford, Connecticut 29 St. Paul, Minnesota 52 St. Petersburg, Florida 52 Seattle, Washington 53 York, Pennsylvania 53 TOC 0608.indd 2 6/8/16 2:44 PM ENGAGEMENT CONNECTING CULTURE ELEVATE THE ARTS PEOPLE TO THEIR NEIGHBORS TO ELEVATE THE COMMUNITY 76 AND LEADERS 54 Spotlight on Salem, Massachusetts 81 Spotlight on Louisville, Kentucky 59 Carmel, Indiana 82 Fayetteville, Arkansas 60 Columbus, Ohio 82 Fort Worth, Texas 60 Gary, Indiana 83 Holyoke, Massachusetts 61 Loveland, Colorado 83 Indianapolis, Indiana 61 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 83 Las Vegas, Nevada 62 Suwanee, Georgia 83 Miramar, Florida 62 New Orleans, Louisiana 62 NEIGHBORHOOD A PLACE TO Portland, Oregon 63 LIVE, WORK AND PLAY 84 Topeka, Kansas 63 Spotlight on Dallas, Texas 89 Wilmington, Delaware 63 Albany, New York 90 Baltimore, Maryland 90 OPPORTUNITY EMBRACING Charleston, South Carolina 91 DIVERSITY AND PURSUING Concord, New Hampshire 91 POSSIBILITIES 64 Detroit, Michigan 91 Spotlight on Chattanooga, Tennessee 69 Las Vegas, Nevada 91 Albuquerque, New Mexico 70 Miami, Florida 92 Bufalo, New York 70 Pembroke Pines, Florida 92 Cheyenne, Wyoming 71 Providence, Rhode Island 92 Denver, Colorado 71 Santa Ana, California 92 Detroit, Michigan 71 Tampa, Florida 93 Grand Forks, North Dakota 72 West Sacramento, California 93 Kansas City, Missouri 72 Wichita, Kansas 93 Los Angeles, California 73 Miami, Florida 73 LEGACY RECOGNITION 94 Minneapolis, Minnesota 73 Providence, Rhode Island 74 INDEX 96 Rochester, New York 74 Sioux Falls, South Dakota 75 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 97 Tulsa, Oklahoma 75 Virginia Beach, Virginia 75 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 97 NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK A A R P | ENV IRONMENT people’s interests and energies are more likely focused INTRODUCTION close to home. 2. There’s strong belief in the collective good at WHERE WE LIVE influences who we become. So the community level. let me tell you a bit about where I have lived and how This fact was revealed when AARP asked its mem- it has influenced me and inspired me to write this book. bers whether they had supported or would support I grew up in a northern New Jersey suburb where increased funding for public schools even if they had cities were places to go for special occasions. To me, no children in the schools. The majority answered New York City was magical—diverse, noisy, energetic. “yes.” That’s a powerful sense of legacy. I remember taking my first trip to Yankee Stadium and 3. Community eforts are almost always inter- thinking it was so green and beautiful. I enjoyed musi- generational and can be apolitical. cals and plays on Broadway, and I visited museums I discovered this through a series of visits I made where I could see things I had dreamed or read about. to some of AARP’s state ofces, where I met with vol- Also nearby was Newark, New Jersey, where my unteers and members. We talked about Medicare and mother worked for an insurance company. To me, an Social Security, but we also talked about local transpor- avid reader, that city’s grandeur was its outstanding tation and parks and volunteering. Their attention was public library that placed no limit on the number of on where they lived. They were generally optimistic books you could check out. that whatever community improvements were needed These experiences provide the backdrop for my could and would be done, and that solutions would be lifelong interest in cities. good for all generations. Then in the summer of 1969, two years after the nationally reported devastating riots in Newark, I COMMUNITIES FOR ALL AGES interned at the Greater Newark Urban Coalition. As I began looking at demographic trends, I realized There I saw mayors and other elected ofcials solving that one of the compelling challenges for mayors and real problems—vexing though they were—and seeking other leaders throughout the country—particularly ideas and solutions. My summer of researching, those in cities and towns—would be to construct com- fact-checking, and observing cemented my interest in munities that are livable for residents young, old, and cities. I returned to college and constructed my under- in between. At AARP, we call these places “communi- graduate and graduate degrees around urban studies. ties for all ages” or “livable communities.” I was set on a path as a city planner—a discipline We recognize that work on “livability” will grow in that combines policy with practicality and politics. importance as the nation’s population continues to age, Alas, a recession occurred on my way to that career thanks to the boomer population (people born from goal and planning jobs were tough to find. I ended up 1946 to 1964) and the enormous millennial generation in Washington, DC, where I worked for the federal gov- (born between the early 1980s and early 2000s). ernment in a series of jobs focused on legislation and The U.S. population numbers almost 46 million regulatory policy on Capitol Hill and in government people age 65 and older today, with 73 million pro- agencies. In 2000, after a long federal career, I took a jected by 2030. By then, fully one out of every five job at AARP. There, I was struck by three factors about people will be 65 and older. According to U.S. Census people and their communities: projections, all 50 states will see an increase in the 1. People place a deep importance on the com- percentage of their 65-plus population. munity they call home. This reality is borne out in our cities. Today, the The Silent Generation (people born between the 20 largest metro areas are home to almost 17 million mid 1920s and early 1940s) focuses on the country and people 65 and older. From 2010 to 2020, Los Angeles’s the world, according to AARP research. By contrast, 65-and-older population is projected to increase 38 later generations of Americans center on “me, my percent, Houston’s by 69 percent and New York’s family, and my community.” While it doesn’t mean by 32 percent. Some cities that already have older national issues aren’t important, it does mean that populations such as Prescott, Arizona, will grow 35 2 A A R P | ENV IRONMENT percent, with 30 percent of the city’s population 65 from our members and the success of the work, we and older. Similarly, Asheville, North Carolina, will made livable communities a key part of our social see a 37-percent increase, with 23 percent of resi- mission agenda. dents 65 and older. Over the years, the work has grown as our staf and The demographics within that older population volunteers have engaged more and more. We have all are also changing. From 2010 to 2050 the percent of been struck by the compelling and the obvious: Volun- Hispanics, African Americans or Asian Americans teers might eschew getting involved in a big national and Pacific Islanders age 65 and older will increase issue, but they don’t hesitate to pitch in to clean up a 597 percent, to more than 57 million, compared to local playground or collect cans of food for the home- just a 96 percent increase in the white population age less in their neighborhood. 65 and older. At the same time, the total population age 85 or older will increase 231 percent to more than LOCAL LEADERS AS THE CATALYSTS 19 million. FOR CHANGE While we know the demographic trends, the people While many people have very little trust and faith in in these generations will also reshape the world of the leaders they send to Washington, DC, most have aging. For instance, boomers are more active than their abiding confidence in their local elected ofcials. parents were at the same ages and they have diferent According to Gallup, 70 percent of people trust their demands for their communities. The millennials will local government to make decisions versus 32 percent likely live longer than their parents and are already who trust Congress. This is because people want changing the country. With the boomers, millennials results—and town and city mayors just get things done. and Gen Xers (born from the early 1960s to the early One AARP member said to me that if Congress was 1980s), there will be more people who came of age in in charge of snow removal, it would never happen. the “do-it-yourself” era. Legislators would debate whether the snow was actu- An aging population will likely place demands on ally snow. They would state their views on climate local governments. When we take a step back, we see change, the measure would get filibustered, and the the wants and needs of the various generations are snow would never be plowed. By contrast, mayors often similar. jump to action, doing everything they can to get their Boomers and millennials, for instance, have similar streets clear. preferences for walkable neighborhoods that include So it isn’t surprising that as the country talks the a variety of entertainment options, shopping and talk about dealing with the impact of demographic amenities, according to the Urban Land Institute. Both changes, mayors are among the first to efectively generations say they want to be near shops and restau- address those changes. rants and want easy access to public transportation. Mayors and other community leaders don’t see the They prefer to live where there’s a variety of housing changing population just in charts and graphs or in the options and would move into a smaller home for a appendix of a budget document, like many in Wash- shorter commute. ington, DC, do. Local leaders see the shifts every day in Communities are at the center of this demographic their neighborhoods, their kids’ schools and their com- shift, and they’re at the center of the shift in what munity events. As mayors take action, they approach people want, need and demand. the situation with creativity and energy. With these trends, I realized that AARP was in a Where do these ideas come from? Everywhere. I’ve unique position to help communities prepare. While found tremendous entrepreneurial problem-solving headquartered in Washington, DC, AARP also has in communities, and good ideas can emerge from hundreds of employees and thousands of volunteers residents getting together. Solutions can come from stafng ofces in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, knowing what another city did. Many strategies come Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. So in 2006 directly from the mayors themselves, based on what we began working on these issues with a pilot in two they see as they travel around their cities. states: Vermont and Hawaii. Based on the response Continued E 3 DRIVE TO CHANGE ▸ Community input and political imperatives: In As my team and I began the search for examples of the many of the cases featured in this book, mayors heard actions mayors are taking to improve their communities, from residents on issues of importance and built plans I was struck by the variety of eforts we found. Step by from there. step, issue by issue, these mayors are making their com- Above all, though, it’s the ideas—and the mayors munities places where residents of all ages can thrive. who have or implement them—that create real changes Transportation, parks and public spaces, unem- and improve communities for older adults and people ployment and entrepreneurship: After looking across of all ages. a broad span of actions that mayors are tackling, we noticed some common triggers that motivate leaders WHAT THIS BOOK IS—AND ISN’T to take action. At AARP, we are focused on keeping the flow of ideas ▸ A personal connection to an issue: As you’ll read in moving to help provide opportunities and innovation. this book, some mayors’ experiences with weight loss While AARP’s work centers on people ages 50 and inspired citywide initiatives. A mayor who is an avid older, we are committed to creating communities that cyclist invited constituents to join her for Rolling Town are livable for people of all ages. We recognize that Halls. Personal commitments to reducing the carbon positive community changes benefit people across all footprint have led to initiatives toward the same goal. ages and, since no community is the same, there is no ▸ Compelling data that identifies a problem: Some one-size-fits-all approach. of the examples I highlight include launching eforts With that in mind, this book has a simple premise: after seeing scientific data about wildlife decline, high to highlight the interesting and inventive ideas that obesity rates, a lack of afordable housing or low test mayors have implemented and by doing so, to inspire scores by students. even more creativity and sharing of practices to help ▸ Economic development needs and budgetary spur even more action. realities: Some towns, for example, have adopted Where We Live: Communities for All Ages details environmentally sustainable policies to save money more than 100 initiatives that mayors have launched to and others have worked to revitalize neighborhoods to improve their communities, respond to pressing issues achieve the economic potential of communities. and build partnerships. ▸ External funding sources: Federal and state grants This collection is not an academic study of planning, and money from community foundations—such as nor is it an academic analysis or a complete listing of the John T. Gorman Foundation in Maine, the Tufts ideas and smart solutions. Rather, this guide provides an Health Plan Foundation in Massachusetts and Kaiser overview of some of the interesting strategies that have Permanente in Hawaii—have helped communities worked and can be replicated or adapted in other places. achieve needed change. While many community leaders—including town ▸ Nationwide initiatives: A national program can planners, city council members, county commissioners provide a framework for local leaders. For example, and town managers—do wonderful work, I have chosen some mayors have implemented the national Climate mayors as the focus for this project. Action Plan, or adopted Vision Zero agendas (a global Each example is discussed within eight diferent efort to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries due topics: housing, transportation, environment, health, to vehicular causes). Similarly, some leaders have engagement, opportunity, culture and neighborhoods. leveraged national prizes and networks to drive their agendas, including through the Rockefeller Founda- WHAT CAN YOU DO? tion’s Resilient Cities program, Smart Cities, and the I am more than certain that the 100+ ideas shared in AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities (aarp. this book are just the tip of the iceberg of the creativity org/agefriendly). AARP’s network is part of the World in mayors’ ofces across the country. My hope is that Health Organization Global Network of Age-Friendly sharing the ideas in this book will jar loose even more Cities and Communities, which has participating com- examples and ideas of how we can make our cities and munities in more than 20 nations. towns more livable. Please let me hear from you and 4 learn about more of the great work that is happening Keep up with our growing list of innovative ideas by across the country. If you have an idea or a project you visiting the award-winning AARP Livable Communi- think should be highlighted, email us at W H E R E W E L I V E | HOUS ING 6 W H E R E W E L I V E | H O U S I N G 1 HOUSING SAFE, AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 7 W H E R E W E L I V E | HOUS ING Where we live— our homes—is a fundamental building block for everything from our jobs and schools to where we shop and socialize with friends and family. 8

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