Livable Communities
For over a decade, USAging has been a leader in helping to facilitate the expansion of Livable Communities nationwide. In collaboration with Partners for Livable Communities, and with support from the MetLife Foundation, USAging hosted a series of workshops to foster the development of Livable Communities, awarded JumpStart grants to launch these initiatives and published a number of valuable resources.
In the fall of 2014, USAging concluded a year-long, MetLife-funded Livable Communities Collaborative. Six communities from around the nation were selected to learn as a group and then individually launch Livable Community initiatives at the local level, with participation from the Area Agency on Aging, government representatives and community groups. The communities are: Larimer County, CO; Miami Gardens, FL; Monroe County (Rochester area), NY; Santa Fe, NM; Sedgwick County (Wichita), KS; and York, PA.
USAging provided guidance and technical assistance for the communities to build and nurture local, multi-sector collaborations. It also planned and executed individual workshops with each community, whose members collectively determined long-term goals and developed action plans with concrete outcomes that will help their communities meet the needs of citizens across their lifespan. In addition, the Livable Communities Collaborative partnered with the Aging Network Volunteer Collaborative to help participating communities develop the social capital of older adults by training and engaging them in Self-Directed Volunteer (SDV) Teams—a multi-skilled group that shares responsibility for addressing a challenge or opportunity. These volunteer teams form a critical part of planning and advancing the agenda in these communities.
USAging Report: Making Your Community Livable for All Ages: What's Working!
- Executive Summary
- Media Coverage of Livable Communities Report