It always amazes me how important issues converge and important ideas gather attention from unexpected quarters. I have been on and to many panels, etc. where Aging in Place is rejected because we have so many suburbs and they are a poor fit. I have never disagreed with that, but also know that thinking the right path is the positive approach. So often we find that things work out in ways we could never have expected. I have written about that in this blog before in explaining corollary benefits of Universal Design.
Now comes a new angle. The foreclosure situation is pushing a rethinking of the suburbs, and just below the surface is Aging in Place. This article, Beyond Foreclosure: The Future of Suburban Housing, spells out the issues beautifully. One way to increase the number of affordable houses and increase the usable value of unaffordable suburban property is to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs). More people living on a parcel means more dollars for the rent or mortgage. More people living on a parcel means increased density, making transportation systems and meal/service delivery more efficient. Relaxing zoning and covenants can allow urban-ish amenities- local stores and so forth to get closer to homes. Now we have a place where Aging in Place can work!
And from my China trip? I saw little storefronts squeezed into the Hutongs, the traditional Chinese neighborhoods. They don’t ruin the homogeneity. They make the place livable.
Though these ideas may have been unthinkable just a few years ago, the economic imperatives of the recession allow us to open our minds to fresh approaches. And Aging in Place may be a winner.
Louis Tenenbaum, one of the nation's leading authorities on aging in place, is the founder of HomesRenewed, a coalition of business, consumers and nonprofits, driving policy and investment to increase the number of age-friendly homes.
