June 3 (Wednesday) – Private Practice Division – New Contexts for Aging and Livable Communities – Speakers: Ramona Mullahey, Jana Lynott, Lindsay Goldman, Mildred Warner

America is aging. The webcast will explore this demographic change that is both unprecedented and global. A profound increase in longevity has transformed average life expectancy: Older adults over age 65 will represent, by 2030, one in every five people living in the US. The aging of the population offers an unique opportunity to improve communities and take advantage of new tools, strategies, and synergies at the policy and planning levels so communities can reach their full potential in all respects: Thus, creating more livable communities to serve the spectrum of needs and abilities of older adults and ensure a high quality of life for people of all ages. The planning community can lead in fostering new approaches to thoughtfully and carefully forge their community’s future. This session will explore new contexts to aging and livability and their influence: AARP’s Livability Index to assess/measure community livability and identify livability issues; the results of a 2013 national survey on new modalities in multigenerational planning outline effective, more comprehensive strategies for communities to mobilize resources to enhance the quality of life; and a new Community Resilience Framework to help communities find ways to encourage resource investment to strengthen communities and benefit all residents across ages.