HOUSING RESILIENCE

CHALLENGES AND BEST PRACTICES

Architect Illya Azaroff, who has worked on post-disaster building efforts around the world, said rebuilding is a combination of innovation plus vernacular architecture that responds to regional wind, water and heat extremes. 

He said working with nature, not against it, also is a big part of creating resilient homes.

Azaroff’s +LAB studio combined resilience, environmental regeneration and Universal Design in its Cranberry House in Massachusetts with features that include:

A small building footprint that preserves and restores a wetland and wildlife area on the four-acre site; a fully accessible house that allows aging-in-place; a tornado safe room built to FEMA standards; rebuilding with harvested old timber on the foundation of an 18th-century building; solar power that allows the residence to be powered off the grid; and a system for harvesting rainwater.

 

HOUSING RESILIENCE

CHALLENGES AND BEST PRACTICES

After Hurricane Sandy devastated the community of Breezy Point in Queens, N.Y., architect Illya Azaroff designed a home built specifically to stand up to hurricanes and related hazards in the oceanfront neighborhood.

For the same cost as conventional building, you could rebuild a complete resilient home.

“Existing federal guidelines for replacement housing following disasters does not focus on building back better to address the future shocks and stressors of climate changes,” he said.

“But we wanted to prove that for the same cost as conventional building, you could rebuild a completely resilient home.

In one place, we saved 83 percent of the insurance costs — because the home was built to withstand disasters.

That is a lot for an area with retirees and modest incomes.”

HOUSING RESILIENCE

CHALLENGES AND BEST PRACTICES

While communities wrestle with how to rebuild better and how to avoid being the next victim of wildfires or wind and water, best practices are worth examining.

Illya Azaroff, FAIA, founding principal of +LAB Architect PLLC with offices in New York and Los Angeles, is a leader in climate adaptation, mitigation, resilient planning and regenerative design.

“The question we often hear is how can we afford to pay for resiliency? When the reality is we cannot afford not to,” he said.

Azaroff, the president-elect of the American Institute of Architects, worked on rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy. 

He said a lot of working-class people, with modest savings, never expected to be ravaged by the type of storm normally associated with the tropics, but Sandy devastated a lot of small 1950s and 1960s houses in the Far Rockaway neighborhood in Queens, N.Y.

HOUSING RESILIENCE

CHALLENGES AND BEST PRACTICES

Experts from the fields of architecture, engineering, planning and insurance have figured out how to harden houses against the threat of myriad natural disasters including fire, wind and flood.

The issue is many communities are built out and retrofitting is very costly.

Many people are shocked to find out that there is little federal disaster aid to pay for temporary housing when a disaster makes the dwelling they own or rent uninhabitable for months, if not years.

In a political reality when programs are being cut or reduced and not that many people support paying more taxes to fund resiliency, many are searching for answers.

VENTANITAS -- STORIES ABOUT AND FROM LITTLE HAVANA

I WILL BE FEATURED IN THIS DOCUMENTARY PREMIERING THIS FALL

I can't wait for the fall premiere of Ventanitas -- Stories About and from Little by award-winning Miami documentarian Joe Cardona. 

I will appear on camara as a 20+ year LH resident, storyteller, activist & aplatanado.

Ventanitas are the windows where you buy Cuban coffee. 

But they are much more than a place to sip cafe Cubano con mucho azucar. 

There used to be dozens of ventanitas on Calle Ocho -- but the commercial success of a main street with upwards of four million visitors has reduced their numbers.

I’ve admired Joe’s work for years and it was a pleasure to show off my 100-year-old Shenandoah home (purchased from Santeros) and walk around my adopted hometown for half a day.

I told my stories from the heart.

Hopefully, I will come off as a protagonist when the film debuts in Little Havana.

Joe Cardona was honored with a National Emmy for his 2014 historic documentary “The day it snowed in Miami”, a film that he wrote, produced and directed for PBS national network.

He has made dozens of films covering culture, politics and the essence of 21^st century Miami.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Know Your Rights on Trains

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to trains and train stations. Here are a few key points.

Train cars

• Any train cars acquired after 1990 must be ADA-compliant, including designated wheelchair spaces and accessible bathrooms.
• Older train cars should be modified to improve accessibility but do not have to be fully retrofitted.
• Sleeper cars should have accessible bedrooms, restrooms, and access to dining and lounge areas.
• Service animals must be permitted on trains at no additional charge.

Train stations

• All intercity train stations are required to be ADA-compliant.
• Any new station or significant alteration to an existing one must comply with ADA standards, including ramps, elevators, and accessible ticket counters.
• Level boarding (when the boarding platform is level with the train floor) must be provided in new or altered stations, where feasible.
• Staff must assist with boarding and deboarding, using lifts or bridge plates for wheelchair users.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Leah and Bevi Zelaya praise the barrier-free restrooms aboard Amtrak trains they have taken in the Northeast.

Both noted that it is difficult to walk down a plane aisle to a restroom that is too tiny to fit a second person to assist.

“The Red Caps must have good training because they are polite, accommodating, and don’t look at you like you have three heads,” Leah says.

“Travel by train is very relaxed.”

Train travel does have some drawbacks: 

It can take more time than flying or driving, and service and accessibility are inconsistent nationally. 

However, in some cases, these disadvantages are outweighed by the opportunity to travel with greater access and dignity.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Even though the trip takes longer, Vanessa O’Connell says train travel takes the stress and hassles out of her regular trip.

She notes that Amtrak’s Red Caps help with her luggage on board the train and deliver a meal to her room.

“As a person with a disability, you have an accessible restroom right in your room,” Vanessa says.

“On a plane, the restrooms are typically extremely small.

Many people that I know must dehydrate for a few days before flying, as the restroom is not accessible or large enough to accommodate them.”

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Vanessa O’Connell walks on the train, though she is careful with her balance. She has an electric scooter for long distances but generally does not bring it on the train. 

“The accessible sleeper is the first room from the boarding door. It’s a pretty good size and has windows to take in the view. 

The in-room bathroom is big enough to fit a wheelchair in the shower,” she says.

I ENDORSE DAVID HAIGHT FOR

DOTHAN CITY COMMISSION DISTRICT 3 ENDORSEMENT

Perhaps it is not my place to endorse David Haight. I do not live in Dothan, Alabama – I’m from small town Ohio and currently live in a very urban part of Miami.

 

David doesn’t even know I’m writing this – he most certainly did not solicit it.

 

But I want voters to know that David Haight is man of high character. Having worked as a journalist covering politics and having worked for the Chair of the Miami City Commission – I have seen more than my share of folks who run for office for their own benefit.

 

My friend and colleague David is running to serve. He brings virtually unmatched experience as a town planner. His very hard work and dedication has improved hundreds of cities in Florida and far beyond.

 

I’ve known David for the better part of a decade. He came into my life when I was transitioning from marketing urban design to writing and speaking about creating a better built environment for people with disabilities. He experienced the disability of a family member firsthand.

 

David has been a wonderful mentor and coach to my labor of love – teaching planners and leaders about Universal Design and creating places where people young and old can move about safely.

 

As a professional with a career spanning a half century, David has taught countless planners – diverse folks from all backgrounds – who have gone on dedicated their lives to making cities places that serve everyday residents.

David Haight will listen, draw from his experience, inject his strong moral/ethical character and flat out do good things for the good people of Dothan.

P.S. For the record, David and I would probably never agree on who should be in the White House or how it should be led. But that doesn't matter in a local election. He is a good man and a consummate professional.  

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Vanessa O’Connell is an MDA Ambassador in the Orlando area who lives with Pompe disease. 

She travels twice a year on Amtrak’s Floridian from Winter Park, Florida, to Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, to visit family and see specialists at Duke University.

Although a nonstop flight from Orlando to Raleigh-Durham would take less than two hours, Vanessa swears by the overnight, 13-hour Amtrak trip.

“I used to drive it before my diagnosis. Since then, I take the train,” Vanessa says.

“I have a breathing disorder, and my physician says the train’s air is much better than the air on a plane. 

The station in Raleigh-Durham has excellent access.

The one in Winter Park is a quaint little whistle stop, but I can make do with the access.”

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Mindy Henderson, MDA’s Vice President of Disability Outreach and Empowerment and Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, rode on the Texas Eagle, which has bilevel Superliner cars.

She says the aisles were too narrow to maneuver her power wheelchair easily.

There were tie-down restraints to secure her wheelchair; however, the Red Caps (Amtrak attendants) didn’t offer to help, so her personal care attendant (PCA) did the work.

The dining area was up steps with no ramp or lift, so her PCA also did the food run.

Overall, Mindy rated the experience higher than flying, but because of significant delays during her train trip to Dallas, she would prefer driving in an accessible van to taking the train for a journey of that length.

CITIES THAT DON’T TOW CARS PARKED OVER SIDEWALKS

ARE DISRCIMINATING AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Illegal car parking destroys pedestrian safety and forces people with disabilities into Miami’s dangerous street traffic. 

Perpetually 2 or 3 cars park on NE 9 St @ Marina Blue mixed use tower.

Miami has a Downton Development Authority that has a quality of life team in the streets each day.

I wonder if they have any training on ADA accessibility.

I fear they do not spend one day out of 365 trying to make mobility better for people with disabilities in the city center.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Mindy Henderson, MDA’s Vice President of Disability Outreach and Empowerment and Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), recently took her first Amtrak ride. 

She described the five-hour trip from her home in Austin, Texas, to Dallas as a “mixed bag.”

“Getting on the train was dreamy compared to air travel. 

I could stay in my chair, and I didn’t have to worry about being lifted or dropped,” she says.

“The portable ramp from the platform to the train was a bit steep, but the staff were good about standing behind me so I didn’t flip.”

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Dr. Christopher Rosa praises the new Acela cars for wider aisles, more integrated accessible seating, and better shock absorbers for a smooth ride.

“From my home in Queens, I can take an accessible bus to the Long Island Railroad to the Amtrak station. From there, I can get to DC, Boston, and Philly,” he says.

“For most of my life, I couldn’t take trips independently.

I can’t tell you how liberating it is to be totally independent.”

While the heavily traveled Northeast corridor has many modern, accessible train cars, experiences on trains can vary in other regions.

 

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Christopher Rosa, PhD, President and CEO of the Viscardi Center in New York, lives with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) and often travels by train.

“Trains, in general, are more accessible than air travel,” Dr. Rosa says. 

“Amtrak is still a work in progress, with some of the 30- to 40-year-old trains requiring a sharp turn while boarding and aisles too narrow to access the dining car, but I find accessibility in the Northeast corridor is trending in a more inclusive direction. 

Newer cars have design features that make them generally more accessible to passengers with disabilities.”

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

“I’ve used the accessible bedroom cars on the Auto Train,” David Capozzi says, describing a special Amtrak train that transports passengers and their vehicles nonstop from Washington, DC, to Orlando. 

“They take my wheelchair van onto the train, offload it, and I have it in Florida without having to drive 810 miles one way,” he says.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Amtrak is boosting accessibility on trains with 576 new long-distance cars, 28 next-generation Acela cars between Boston and Washington, DC, and 83 new Airo trains on several train lines.

According to Amtrak, the new trains will have more spacious vestibules and restrooms, accessible café cars, and wheelchair lifts. 

Amtrak also offers wheelchair-accessible sleeper cars on overnight routes.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

“There is a lot of catching up to do, as some trains are 40 to 50 years old, and many stations are very old,” David Capozzi says. 

Roughly half of the train stations Amtrak uses are accessible now, and 173 station construction projects are scheduled through 2029.

David prefers to use stations that have platforms level with the train, so only a portable bridge plate is needed to fill the small gap between the train and the platform. 

He suggests that travelers who use wheelchairs look up their Amtrak stations to learn about their accessibility before booking.

I LOVE THE 100 YEARS OF ART DECO IN MIAMI BEACH EXHIBIT

I’D LOVE IT MORE IF A REDESIGN PROVIDED WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE OUTDOOR GALLERY

100 Years of Art Deco in Miami Beach features 100+ images from around the world create a visual journey through the evolution of Art Deco.

In the spirit of inclusion, I wish the journey through Lummus Park was more wheelchair accessible.

I adore the Miami Design Preservation League & will forever be grateful for its exhibit of my photography.

But I do challenge it to use temporary interlocking plastic pavers to make the entire Art Deco 100 exhibit accessible to people with disabilities.

The exhibit runs through January, so there is plenty of time to fine tune its accessibility and Universal Design.

The Miami Beach Pride Festival and Parade uses heavy plastic interlocking mat material to provide wheelchair access and inclusion on the beach sand.

That same product could enhance access along the mushy grass and varying topography of Lummus Park.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

David Capozzi is enthused that Amtrak’s 2025 budget includes $243 million for improving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on trains and in stations.

However, he understands the nation’s passenger rail agency did a poor job of addressing ADA issues in the first 20 years after the legislation passed.

 

 

 

 

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

“Our son and daughter-in-law live in New York City, and we take the train there often,” David Capozzi says.

“From the station by Baltimore/Washington International Airport, we can go right to the Moynihan Train Hall in Manhattan. 

It’s easier than a flight.”

 

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

David Capozzi, who uses a wheelchair, joined the Amtrak Board of Directors in 2024.

The Maryland resident worked for the US Access Board for 28 years, including more than a decade as its executive director.

He became an Amtrak board member thanks to disability rights activist and US Senator Tammy Duckworth, who pushed to require the board to include at least one person with a disability who has experience with accessibility in passenger rail. 

This change was made after Amtrak came under fire in 2020 for trying to charge a group of wheelchair users traveling from Chicago to Bloomington, Illinois, $25,000 to accommodate them by removing seats. A one-way ticket for that route was $16. 

Amtrak backed off after public outcry, but more inclusive representation on its board was needed.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

People with neuromuscular diseases and other disabilities may enjoy less hassle and a more inclusive ride on trains. 

Seasoned travelers point out that a regional train ride of two to four hours is just as expedient as a one-hour flight because a flight includes early arrival, security screening, and an uncomfortable boarding process involving transfers between their personal wheelchair, an aisle chair, and the plane seat. 

Even for long-distance routes, accessible sleeper cars can make train travel more inclusive.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Leah Zelaya’s mom, Bevi Zelaya, says that, as a caregiver, it is stressful to worry about wheelchair damage or loss during a flight.

“You can’t stay in your wheelchair on a plane, and it will be ages before you can,” Leah adds. 

“On the train, you have that independence.”

Train travel is a viable option for people with disabilities who are tired of having their wheelchair mishandled in an airline industry known for treating mobility devices poorly. 

In 2024, a single air carrier was fined $50 million for its treatment of passengers with disabilities and their mobility equipment.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

When the Zelaya family travels from their home in Brooklyn, New York, to Boston or Washington, DC, they take an Amtrak train.

Leah Zelaya, a former MDA National Ambassador, and her dad, Jaime, live with scapuloperoneal spinal muscular atrophy (SPSMA).

“When we travel on an airplane, we rush to get through the terminal, and I never know if my wheelchair is going to come back to me in one piece,” says Leah, a 17-year-old actor, dancer, and model who walks with bilateral leg braces and uses a wheelchair for long distances. 

“Using the train is like a different, stress-free world. 

It’s way better.”

MY BLOG GETS 12,000 TO 15,000

DAILY READERS

I learned journalism at the storied Akron Beacon Journal.

Its daily print circulation is below 22,000.

It’s not an apples to apples comparison -- but I am proud to be getting so many readers.

My blog focuses on building a better environment for people with disabilities, placemaking and urban photography.

It began more than a decade ago and has had nearly 1.5 million unique visitors.

HOTEL DE PARIS MONTPARNASSE

GREAT STAFF, TINY ROOM, GOOD LOCATION NEXT TO GARE MONTPARNASSE

Rue Daguerre, one of the greatest foodie streets in one of the greatest gastronomic cities, is a 10 minute stroll from Hotel de Paris Montparnasse.

The wonderful Marche Edgar Quinet sets up on Wednesdays and Saturdays less than 5 minutes from Hôtel de Paris Montparnasse.

Historic Cimetière du Montparnasse is footsteps away, as are the famous Catacombs underground boneyard.

I would strongly suggest heading south of the hotel through the various low key, very French neighborhoods of the 14th.

There are old villages that became a part of Paris.

Marche aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves, open Saturdays and Sundays only, is the second best flea market in all of Paris.

In perfect 72 F weather, I zig zagged through some not so tourist-choked Paris and -- 2 km and less than an hour from hotel -- turned up at the Marche aux Puces.

HOTEL DE PARIS MONTPARNASSE

GREAT STAFF, TINY ROOM, GOOD LOCATION NEXT TO GARE MONTPARNASSE

My room was very tiny at Hotel de Paris Montparnasse.

Barely 100 SF if that.

Basically a place to store some clothing, take a shower, hit the bathroom and sleep. I was there two days.

I don't think I could recommended it for more than 3 days stay -- and I'm the kind of person who goes out early and comes back late each day while traveling.

It's a typical old, tiny European hotel room -- modernized with plenty of outlets -- regular and USB.

HOTEL DE PARIS MONTPARNASSE

GREAT STAFF, TINY ROOM, GOOD LOCATION NEXT TO GARE MONTPARNASSE

High praise for the staff at Hotel de Paris Montparnasse.

It is a smallish, family-run hotel and I made a couple special requests -- having an extra flat sheet in the room upon arrival -- and they had this covered.

It's my test of front desk responsiveness.

They have fresh filtered water and large glass bottles for you to use for free.

This was an excellent way of saving money on buying water while also saving the planet by not tossing away plastic.

The location is crawling distance from Gare Montparnasse -- which was a big draw for me because I was catching the high speed train to Bordeaux at the end of my Paris stay.

APARTHOTEL ADAGIO BORDEAUX CENTRE GAMBETTA

MODERN BUILDING WITH GALLEY KITCHEN FOOTSTEPS FROM TRANSIT

Pound for pound, Bordeaux boasts some of the best gastronomy and wine in all of France...or the world for that matter.

Code 23, a fabulous bar with live music and a cozy vibe, is less than 15 minutes walk from the property.

Le Petit Commerce, one of the greatest, most unpretentious seafood houses in all of the region, is 15 minutes walk away from Aparthotel Adagio Bordeaux Centre Gambetta.

Boulangerie Jocteur, an outstanding bakery, is a brisk 5 minute walk from the hotel.

Chartrons and its great homes and bistros are 15 minutes by tram.

Cite du Vin is less than 25 minutes by tram.

Bassins des Lumières, in a WWII submarine bunker also to the north of town, is less than 45 minutes by public transit.

APARTHOTEL ADAGIO BORDEAUX CENTRE GAMBETTA

MODERN BUILDING WITH GALLEY KITCHEN FOOTSTEPS FROM TRANSIT

Aparthotel Adagio Bordeaux Centre Gambetta Front desk staff was excellent about giving tips on shopping/dining.

It also complied with my standard request to get the room farthest from the elevator and to have an extra flat sheet in the room.

I certainly used the coffee maker, as well as the fridge to store leftover gourmet food -- and the stove and microwave to reheat said food.

St. Catherine Street -- billed as the longest pedestrian shopping street in all of Europe, is footsteps away.

Garonne River, muddy but the spine of the city for centuries, is 10-12 minutes walk away, as is the famous Place de la Bourse with its giant reflecting pond and wondrous architecture. Bordeaux is a great city.