Friday, June 12, 2026

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST


There must be 1,000 historic buildings, boasting food, drink, dessert -- very nearby Hotel Miau Madrid.

I only used rideshare once -- on a rainy day when I was visiting an historic cemetery outside the old city.

The well-trained and warm staff gave suggestions for a pair of authentic tapas bars that were within 5 minutes walking distance.

Staff also respected my request for limited housekeeping. 

Many places ignore this, but Miau's team is on top of everything.

Thursday, June 11, 2026

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST


The Hotel Miau Madrid's fridge is sleek looking and saves space with the wall mount. 

The only thing is it is cool, not really cold.

I could not find a knob to adjust it to a colder setting. 

While this was fine for sodas and bottled water, some milk I had for medication was not cold enough.

I worried a bit that it would spoil within a couple days, vs the 10 day expiry on the label.

 Once again, this is a very small deficiency at a very excellent boutique hotel.

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST


Hotel Miau Madrid reviews mention hallway noise and I must say they are correct.

It is odd that the double doors tamp down raucous sound from Plaza Santa Ana, but the interior modern renovation lets noise in.

Each night, I heard fellow guests talking in the hallway (the rooms are small, so groups in 2 or 3 rooms seemed to hover in the hallway at all hours. 

They were not drinking or making trouble -- just talking loud enough to disturb my sleep.

Breakfast starts at 8 a.m. It is lavish, so it is hard to complain. 

Plus I understand that Spaniards eat small breakfasts much later than Americans.

But maybe opening at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 7:30 a.m. on weekends would be a compromise. 

I'm an early riser. 

I had to kill time before the breakfast room (2 doors down from hotel) opened. 

Again, my words are more advice than complaint.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST


The Hotel Miau Madrid's rooms are small but quite efficient -- with a wall mounted fridge capable of cooling a soda, beer and few bottles of water.

The price point for a perfect location in May was under 200 USD fully loaded -- delicious breakfast and taxes included.

Miau -- yes it has a cat theme in its logo, etc. -- is very close to Sol, the biggest transit station in Madrid. Anton Martin and others are close by too.

Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Opera, Prado, El Rastro, Gran Via and dozens of top areas are no more than 15 minutes walking distance.

Monday, June 8, 2026

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST


Hotel Miau Madrid's soundproofing for busy and boisterous adjacent Plaza Santa Ana is amazing. 

I could hear faint sounds, but the double doors provided quiet nights in a roof with a small balcony and historic views.

The breakfast is beyond lavish. 

Most free breakfasts are crappy little cold food huts. 

The buffet has variety, hot foods, gourmet coffee and a super hardworking staff person.

My bed was super firm and comfy.

The bathroom is large and the shower tube had lots of hot water.

Sunday, June 7, 2026

HOTEL MIAU MADRID = HIGH VALUE, PERFECT LOCATION

WITH 10 STAR STAFF AND LAVISH WARM BREAKFAST


Hotel Miau Madrid's location is perfect. It is a 15 minute walk from virtually every museum, arts facility, jazz room, fine dining, mercado, tapas crawl, etc. that you would want to visit in heart of the city.

The staff is amazing.

This is a tiny, boutique hotel with barely a lobby.

I was not 100% sure it was staffed 24/7. 

Not only is it staffed, but its English speaking front desk crew is responsive in person and to emails.

Staff helped me plan for the trip and helped hugely during -- even got me a doctor in less than an hour when I couldn't shake a cold.

Saturday, June 6, 2026

FROM WOOD BLOCKS TO CITY BLOCKS

 A YOUNG PLANNER’S GUIDE TO BUILDING BETTER PLACES


From Wood Blocks to City Blocks by Juan Mullerat is one of the most inclusive community planning books I have read.

The young community activists/budding urban designers address the needs of a person who uses a wheelchair for mobility.

The richly illustrated publication emphasizes the need for wide, unobstructed, well-maintained sidewalks to support mobility and freedom for people of all ages and abilities.

I collaborated with Juan Mullerat at PlusUrbia Design for a half decade.

It’s where I felt like a graduated from writer/marketer of planning – to person who could give keynote addresses on Universal Design and Inclusive Mobility to planners, engineers and architects.

I will take tiny credit for planting the Universal Design seed in Juan’s brilliant mind.

Both of us are Type A people with a clear vision and sometimes a hint of stubbornness about approaches to the built environment.

Our debates on wheelchair access, retrofitting old buildings, reconciling healthy design issues and aspects of Aging In Place – improved both of our professional approaches to urban design as a way of making the world a better place.

Kudos to Juan and the PlusUrbia team for embracing Design for All.

 



Friday, June 5, 2026

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


RESOURCES

8 80 Cities https://www.880cities.org

AARP Livability Index https://livabilityindex.aarp.org

AARP Future of Housing https://futureofhousing.aarp.org

American Planning Association https://www.planning.org/resources/equity

Wheel Pad https://www.wheelpad.com

Jeff Speck https://www.jeffspeck.com

New York Academy of Medicine/Age Friendly NYC http://imagenyc.nyam.org

Project for Public Spaces https://www.pps.org

LCM Architects https://www.lcmarchitects.com

Thursday, June 4, 2026

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


Steven Montgomery is an Accessibility Specialist at Chicago-based LCM Architects, noted while longevity puts pressure on assisted living and skilled care (because people entering these care settings are doing so at a much later age) it seems to suggest that it may provide new opportunities for independent senior housing.”

“As for the built environment, universal design is the best option to facilitate aging in place,” Montgomery said.

“Because it is intentional by design to permit the widest range of users, including accommodation of future functional impairments, often associated with the aging process.”

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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


Steven Montgomery is an Accessibility Specialist at Chicago-based LCM Architects, an ADA/accessibility and universal design consulting firm.

He said while there still is a market for active lifestyle retirement communities, the aging Baby Boomer population is “markedly more independent and increasingly more urban than the generation that preceded them.”

“The trend of delayed entry into senior settings is likely to continue as those in retirement hope to extend their independence even longer,” he said.

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

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

“One of the key risk factors for health – both psychological and physical -- is social isolation,” said Meg Walker, a Placemaking Consultant and Community Strategist and Professor at Pratt Institute.

Getting out is so important for seniors.

They need to be near a park, a grocery, a library, a place to meet other people.

We need to make more areas walkable, parks more inviting, universal design applied to all civic space – we need to make places for people.”

Walker sees a trend across the nation of people selling big houses in the suburbs and into cities, downtowns and missed use developments alive with amenities and activity.

Monday, June 1, 2026

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


Meg Walker is a Placemaking Consultant and Community Strategist and Professor at Pratt Institute.

She shared her insights when she was Senior Vice President of the New York-based planning non-profit Project for Public Spaces,

Walker has dedicated much of her career – as a planner, educator and elected official – to making streets and public spaces more walkable for human beings.

She said once the temporary need for social distancing has passed, planning for inclusive communities will be a key to supporting an aging population.

 

Sunday, May 31, 2026

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


Lindsay Goldman is the Chief Executive Officer at Grantmakers In Aging (GIA), said data is very important for cities to track needs. NYAM has created Age-Friendly NYC, an interactive online map that tracks aging in New York.

It is a tool for planning, public works, transit and other officials to best spend on resources for walkability, transit and other amenities that better serve concentrations of aging populations and people with disabilities.


Saturday, May 30, 2026

PROUD TO BE A GUARDIAN OF GREEN GRASS AND LUSH TREES

I HAVE PROTECTED THE NATURE AT WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN PARK  FOR NEARLY A QUARTER OF A CENTURY


Honored to be part of the ribbon cutting to celebrate renovations of William Jennings Bryan Park under the leadership of Commissioner Ralph "Rafael" Rosado.

It was great to celebrate with the Commissioner and Mayor Eileen Higgins.

I created the covenant that conserves the west side of the park.

This perpetuates a perfect balance – tennis/pickleball, youth playground, exercise stations, right-sized community center and picnic area on the active side.

Green grass, shading trees and hundreds of uses for open space (a rarity in Miami) on the passive side of the two-acre city park in the Shenandoah part of Miami.



Friday, May 29, 2026

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


Lindsay Goldman is the Chief Executive Officer at Grantmakers In Aging (GIA), said consumer demand will help drive the housing industry to create homes that are more accessible and adaptable.

Goldman said cities are adapting by creating online and 311-type call centers where residents can report broken sidewalks and other barriers to safe walkability.

 

Thursday, May 28, 2026

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


Lindsay Goldman is the Chief Executive Officer at Grantmakers In Aging (GIA), She shared insights when she was Director, Healthy Aging, New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM).

She said Realtors are specializing in finding housing for people who want to downsize while aging in place in their community. 

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

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 


Jeff Speck
, leader of Brookline, MA-based Speck Dempsey, emphasized the value of an ADU with an anecdote about an older woman who built a house with an ADU in Kentlands in Gaithersburg, MD.

“She lived in the granny flat (ADU), rented out the house and covered her mortgage with the house rent -- thus living for free,” Speck said.


Tuesday, May 26, 2026

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 


An advocate of the ADU since the 1980s, Jeff Speck, leader of Brookline, MA-based Speck Dempsey,  predicts exponential growth of them.

They are solution to affordable housing, aging in place and adding gentle density to neighborhoods already served by urban amenities.

 


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


Jeff Speck, leader of Brookline, MA-based Speck Dempsey,
notes the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community – places in hundreds of medium- and large-sized cities with a high concentration of older residents drawn to the conveniences that walkable urbanism provides.

“The walkable city is also the rollable city, and making it more rollable (for people with disabilities) makes it more walkable,” he said. 

 

Sunday, May 24, 2026

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


Jeff Speck leads Brookline, MA-based Speck Dempsey and is a planner who has authored several acclaimed books including Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places.

“Older Americans seeking to relocate face an important choice when it comes to their next home: a suburban residential community or a walkable urban neighborhood.

Which one they chose will have a large impact on whether their daily lives are more sedentary and isolated, or more active, social, and fulfilling,”

Speck wrote in an article for AARP that pointedly details the shortcomings of the car-dependent, age-restricted community that is an anomaly of the second half of the 20th century.  

Saturday, May 23, 2026

UNIVERSAL DESIGN IS MY PASSION

I AM HONORED TO COLLABORATE WITH IRIS PROPESCU,

A PH.D. ARCHITECT FOCUSED ON BUILDING INCLUSION

Iris Popescu, a Fulbright Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, interviewed me for 2 hours, covering my Universal Design work.

I hope to someday guest lecture at MIT with colleague Iris Popescu.

Her mission statement on her building inclusion work matches my passion for Universal Design.

"I am an architect specialised in inclusive design and a firm believer that in order to improve the built environment, reduce the inequalities and exclusion caused by it, we first need to change mentalities regarding accessibility, disability and human diversity." -- Iris Popescu, PHD Arch.


https://irispopescu.com

Friday, May 22, 2026

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


Architect Julie Lineberger President of the Wilmington, VT-based Wheel Pad firm, is developing a stand-alone unit with a kitchen that would be about 300 square feet.

“Aside from family members bringing their loved ones into their own home with a Wheel Pad, there are additional uses,’’ she said.

“A couple who want to age in place in their own home is using Wheel Pad for a live-in aide (quarters).

Another is Wheel Pad as an ADU, renting it for additional income (that can cover the cost of adaptations to the main house, or personal care aides),” she said.

Thursday, May 21, 2026

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


Wheel Pad is a 200 square foot accessible bedroom and bathroom that can be attached to an existing home.

 The $75,000 portable unit provides temporary accessible housing for people with mobility issues, allowing friends or family in the main house to provide support to its tenant.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

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


David Morley, Research Program and QA Manager at the APA, said while not all areas are making it easy for ADUs, there seems to be a ground swell of “yes in my backyard for these, as opposed to the NIMBY.”

 

Morley said an increase in popularity has motivated firms to create pre-fab ADUs, including some made specifically with universal design to meet the needs of seniors and people with disabilities.

 

 

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

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


AARP is collaborating with the American Planning Association (APA) on housing solutions, such as ADUs attached to existing homes, created out of garages or as stand-alone structures on a single-family lot.

David Morley, Research Program and QA Manager at the APA, said there has been great growth in ADU approvals, construction and occupancy in Portland, Seattle and cities in California and on the East Coast.

 

In 2018, the APA surveyed planning directors and about 40 percent responded that they have adopted more permissive ADU regulations in recent years.

Monday, May 18, 2026

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


I see them as one best strategies we have for transforming communities to meet our needs,” Rodney Harrell, Vice President, Family, Home and Community Harrell at AARP, said of ADUs.

 

“There is a lot of talk about the future: universal design in housing, changes in transportation – but ADUs can solve problems now.

 

The state of California lowered the restrictions that communities were using (to largely prevent) ADUs and now there is a building boom of them in Los Angeles and other communities.

 

The housing crisis is so bad, it’s a move they needed to make.”