AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

“People don’t take into account their future needs,” said Rodney Harrell, Vice President, Family, Home and Community at AARP.

“When home shopping in our 30s, 40s, 50s --   we end up in neighborhoods that are remote,” he said.

Places for worship, places to meet, places for all essential services can only be reached by car.

Children leave, a spouse passes on, income reduces, they are no longer able to drive and they are in isolation.

It didn’t seem to be important to be within walking distance of that grocery store or pharmacy when they bought, but now it is very important.”

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

A 2018 AARP survey that found 76% of Americans age 50 and older prefer to remain in their current residence as long as possible, just 46% feel they will be able to stay in their same home.

The reason for the gap is one of two things – a home too isolated from daily needs, or inadequate to serve their needs.

About one-third surveyed expect their homes to need major modifications to accommodate aging needs.

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

Gil Penalosa, founder and chair of the Toronto-based planning non-profit 8 80 Cities, said the “war on benches” an ill-advised 20+ year trend of removing benches in cities as presumed deterrent to homeless people is “insane”

“Elderly people will not walk if there are no benches. 

They might not even use it, but they want to know it is there if they need it,” he said.

“You put in benches, shade and soon you have sidewalk cafes, people selling flowers, coffee shops, places to meet.”

 

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

“They design streets to let cars make faster turns, but they don’t built an island in the middle of a crosswalk to let people cross safely,” said Gil Penalosa, founder and chair of the Toronto-based planning non-profit 8 80 Cities.

“The engineers say `the elected officials won’t let us build an island because the drivers will be angry.’

I say ‘the children of those drivers are getting killed in the streets.’”

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

“Cities put posts and obstructions in the middle of the sidewalk,” said Gil Penalosa, founder and chair of the Toronto-based planning non-profit 8 80 Cities.

“I say `You wouldn’t think of putting a post in the middle of the car lane, why would you think it is good to do that in the middle of the sidewalk,”

noting the obvious message is speeding cars are more important than the safety of children, people with disabilities and seniors on the sidewalk.

 

 

PRIVILEGED TO HAVE 2 MILLION READERS

MORE THAN 2 MILLION UNIQUE READERS

HAVE VISITED MY BLOG OVER ITS LIFETIME 

 

TENS OF THOUSANDS READ IT EACH DAY

 

I am grateful that so many people read my daily posts about Universal Design, Inclusive Mobility, Perils for Pedestrians and Quality of Life.

 

My work creates a better built environment by influencing architects, engineers, planners, landscape architects and sustainability/resiliency professionals.

 

I have made power arguments for inclusion and equity with elected officials and appointed decision makers at the local, state and federal level.

 

I also toss in a few cute cat pics and some global travel photos.

 

That’s why it’s a blog, not the New York Times.

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

Gil Penalosa, founder and chair of the Toronto-based planning non-profit 8 80 Cities, said building a great network of wide, well-maintained sidewalks is one of the best things a mayor or city manager can do for a community’s sustainability.

“I have walked on streets where the sidewalk kept sloping for driveways and I thought `this is terrible for wheelchair users, this could cause a person to fall down and get injured.’

I told this to the city official, who said it meets the standards.

I said ‘maybe the standards are dumb.”

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

Gil Penalosa, founder and chair of the Toronto-based planning non-profit 8 80 Cities, said senior citizens benefit from not being isolated, but the community benefits as well.

He pointed to the huge amount of retired doctors and nurses who responded by volunteering to help overtaxed hospital staff responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There are studies that show that when (senior citizens) lose their driving privileges, it is as traumatic as a cancer diagnosis.

Because in so many cities, the car is the only way to be mobile and make a doctor’s appointment or grocery run,” he said.

“In walkable cities with transit, losing a car doesn’t mean losing your friends, your stores, your places you’ve gone all your life.”

 

 

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

Gil Penalosa, founder and chair of the Toronto-based planning non-profit 8 80 Cities, believes cities will retrofit with infrastructure to support mobility by walking, biking and wheelchair despite the temporary need for isolation because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“Everyone is looking for the magic pill to address obesity, diabetes, heart trouble and more. 

The answer is getting around by walking, crutches, wheelchair – I don’t care how you move, but you need to move about in ways other than using a car – it’s also very crucial to mental health,’’ he said.

 

“The only places where large amounts of people walk at least five days a week are those with the infrastructure to support walking, biking, transit and mobility for people with disabilities.”

 

 

 

 

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

There is an ongoing trend in America of people moving from rural to urban areas.

The trend toward more livable cities with more amenities within walking distance is a huge improvement in quality of life for people with disabilities.

 

Premium public transit, wide sidewalks, safe crosswalks and the ability to meet all daily needs without requiring an $80,000 lift-equipped wheelchair van is a huge asset to people who use assistive mobility devices.

 

US census and respected data sources indicate between one in four or one in five Americans who will experience some level of disability that impacts their daily lives.

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

While every aging senior does not want to live somewhere as intense as Manhattan, they do want to live where they can meet their daily needs without depending on an automobile.

 

Many are staying within their same city, but selling the big house (in a low density area that requires a car for everything) and moving to more compact, walkable neighborhoods with diverse dwellings.

AS DEMAND TO AGE IN PLACE SOARS, SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SEEKING MORE WALKABILITY AND DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES

A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES

America is aging.

In 1950, fewer than 8 percent of Americans were age 65 and older.

 

By 2030, AARP data analysis predicts one in five Americans will be 65 or older.

 

For those older Americans, including throngs of Baby Boomers retiring each day, the golden years dream is no longer an isolated villa in a golf cart-using, age-restricted community.

 

More than three out of four people age 65 and older want to age in a community that is walkable, compact, diverse, well-served by transit and filled with a mix of uses including healthcare, shopping, parks, conveniences, libraries and education, job and volunteering opportunities.

MY ACCLAIMED STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WILL BE FEATURED IN A WILEY PRESS BOOK

THE ART OF THE NEW URBANISM VOLUME 2 (2010-2025)

I am honored to learn that my urban/architectural photography will be featured in The Art of the New Urbanism Volume 2 by Wiley Press.

The book is by James Dougherty, Charles C. Bohl & Victor Dover, with a forward by David Csont.

The lavish, full color coffee table book is the result of a collaboration between the University of Miami School of Architecture (UMSoA), the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) and Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning.

I created a Universal Design course at the UMSoA, have published with the CNU and have collaborated with DKP.

Publication in the Wiley book is gratifying, because an independent expert jury selected my photography from an extraordinary number of high-quality images.

This marks the 10th publication in the past 5 years that has featured my writing, photography or art.

COLOR BOTANICO PALERMO SOHO

PERFECT APARTHOTEL FOR A LONG STAY IN BA'S BEST NEIGHBORHOOD

Color Botanico is a 9.8 out of 10 -- one of my highest ever ratings.

I almost booked a similar sized apartment in MicroCentro.

While that area has a lot of famous spots and places the tourists go -- it is creepy after dark.

Palermo SOHO is vibrant 24-7.

A few blocks in either direction and it would have been noisy.

But this is a quiet, mostly residential street.

Lots of buses nearby as well, to make it easy to visit other parts of the city.

Two people could live in this unit for 2 weeks (4 with 2 bed configuration) and not feel crowded.