1. Livable Communities: Becoming Age Friendly
Valerie Spain
Age Friendly Lead
AARP, Massachusetts Office
January 2018
Good evening.
My name is Adam Goldberg and I work in AARP’s National Office in Washington, DC. My job is to help our state offices with the advocacy they’re doing on mobility issues. The team I’m on also assists our state offices on housing and utility issues, and also works on the same issues on the federal level.
I’m happy to be here today to talk to you about why AARP cares about livable communities. I’ll primarily focus on mobility issues, but I do want to talk a little about housing. Having great mobility options is important, but if you don’t have a home that you can live in, the mobility options aren’t quite as important. The two really do go together to create a livable community.

2. ~Joe Coughlin, MIT Age Lab
Having invested so much to get people to live longer, we’ve barely given any thought to how they can live better.
~Joe Coughlin, MIT Age Lab
Developed to help cities prepare for two demographic changes- aging of the population and urbanization
-In 2006, WHO brought together 33 cities in 22 countries for a project to help determine the key elements of the urban environment that support active and healthy aging

3. BACKGROUND
The World Health Organization established the Age-Friendly Cities Program to prepare for two demographic shifts:
Population Aging
Urbanization
Developed to help cities prepare for two demographic changes- aging of the population and urbanization
-In 2006, WHO brought together 33 cities in 22 countries for a project to help determine the key elements of the urban environment that support active and healthy aging

4. The AARP Age Friendly Network offers a process and resources for communities to become AF.
Review Maine Guide Domain list.
Municipal Services

5. Livable Communities on the AARP Dashboard
Massachusetts one of 10 states majoring in Age Friendly/Livable Communities.
But surprise - it isn’t only older adults who want similar things…

6. AARP MA Network Communities
MA Age-Friendly Network (49)
Agawam, Arlington, Berkshire county (North Adams, Pittsfield + 30 towns ), Boston, Dartmouth, Lawrence, Martha’s Vineyard (6 towns), New Bedford, Newton, Peabody, Salem, Wakefield, West Springfield and more in process, including regions: MAPC MAGIC region (13 towns) and Cape Ann (4 towns)
Regional approaches:
Acton/MAGIC (Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlock Coordination)
Cape Cod
Cape Ann
Growing momentum

7. AARP Age Friendly Process
Step 2: Develop an Action Plan (Years 1 - 2)
Step 1: Application & Acceptance into Network
Step 4: Commitment to Continuous Cycle of Improvements (Years 5+)
Step 3: Implement & Evaluate Action Plan (Years 3 - 5)
The Age Friendly process is a 5-year cycle of continuous improvement encompassing application, planning , implementation and evaluation.
Communities custom design their Age-Friendly initiative focused on their needs.
There are requirements and benchmarks but all tailored to the community.
You don’t have to tackle all 8 domains at once.
Application details past and future age friendly projects/policies and letter from town administration. Certificate on acceptance/photo op.
Develop and submit action plan by year 2-reviewed by AARP and WHO, offer feedback etc. – another certificate on acceptance.
Years 3-5 implement, measure and evaluate
Progress against action plan at end of year 5 communities should spur revision and continuing the process
Livable Communities
Great Places for All Ages

8. Elements of An Action Plan
Goals
Action steps to reach goals
Start/end dates of each activity
Target date for plan completion
Also key:
Backbone organization and/or individuals responsible for completing action steps
Indicators to measure progress
Resources

9. Including Dementia Friendly
We’ve struggled with how to differentiate these - a DF community is Af but an AF is not necessarily DF.
But last night I realized the word “friendly” in both stands for the integrated, networked “multi-sector” approach that characterizes both the age and dementia friendly movements - and emphasizes human connection and kindness, supportive space, and goes beyond the single issue. Age Friendly uses an aging lens but benefits/includes all ages - dementia friendly uses the dementia lens but radiates out to support everyone interacting with the person living with dementia.

10. Everybody Wants a Livable Community
LONGEVITY ECONOMY
Everybody Wants a Livable Community
PEOPLE WANT LIVABLE COMMUNITIES

11. Resources

12. AARP Age-Friendly Resources
Community Challenge Grants This year AARP awarded grants for pilots/activities that support livable community projects nationally.
Quarterly Webinars
Conferences (annual AARP Livable Communities Conference, Tufts and others.)
TA with applications and action plans from state and national AARP offices.
Online toolkits and Roadmap Series.
Private Facebook page.
More resources coming
Others:
Conference calls with national office liaison
Toolkits becoming more streamlined as AARP continuously responds to community feedback -
Online action plan template coming…

13. For More Information
Contact Valerie Spain, AARP Age Friendly Lead
to:
Learn more about joining the AARP Age Friendly Network
Schedule presentations about the AARP MA Age Friendly Network of Livable Communities