I agree with Valerie's suggestions. Housing should be of a mixed community which also includes housing for mobility-impaired, located within easy access for walking, wheelchairs, walkers and scooters, to central services. And of course excellent bus service. Near grocery stores locally owned, health food, farmers market. Also near health centers. Affordable with priority on needs of low and moderate income. Well insulated & weatherized of course. Jeanne In a message dated 9/2/2008 9:14:33 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Hi Gay, Thanks for the chance to give input! Here are some ideas: 1. senior co-housing is growing in popularity. Here's a reference: http://www.cohousing.org/taxonomy/term/105 2. elder cottages such as we have in Tompkins County are theoretically a great idea, but (from what I've read) as built they're nearly as toxic as FEMA trailers. Housing for elders (and everyone else) should be free of toxic materials, especially formaldehyde, heavy metals, pesticides, toxic glues and adhesives, etc . So conventional plywood, kitchen cabinets, and carpeting, for example, should be avoided, and the housing should be built of stable, non-toxic, non-offgassing materials. 3. I want to live in a community, where my neighbors and I know each other well. For me, that includes neighbors of all ages, though I know not everyone feels this way. 4. My experience at Ecovillage tells me that it's important to keep cars out of the center of a neighborhood, and to confine parking to the periphery. The central space immediately becomes more social if it is free of cars. 5. Even beyond the energy savings, a passive solar house is much cheerier and more fun to live in than a conventional design. Houses should be oriented to the sun, with carefully designed overhangs to shade out the sun in the summer and bring it inside in the winter. 6. Some elements of universal design are especially important: single- story housing, good-sized doors, clear pathways with good traction, etc. It's important for people who are downsizing to have plenty of closets, and closets are also good sound-proofing features along walls shared with neighbors. All best, Valorie On Sep 1, 2008, at 1:13 AM, Gay Nicholson wrote: > Hello Colleagues, > > I've been invited to join about 50 others in Albany on September 4 to > provide input into a new planning and zoning initiative of the NYS > Office for the Aging and Department of State regarding housing for > older persons. New York has a large and growing population of older > folks, and we need to put together a resource tool kit for communities > that will help them design wisely for aging in place and for long-term > care. This tool kit would include model zoning ordinances, > guidelines, examples of successful strategies, and resources for > technical assistance. > > They are very interested in learning about what is out there in terms > of green building practices, healthy community design, energy > efficiency/renewables, and sustainable development that foresees the > needs of tomorrow's seniors. > > They also want to know what the barriers are to implementing some of > the practices that might help us keep seniors healthy and happy in New > York State. > > I would appreciate hearing your ideas and suggestions, or learning of > resources you think might be useful, so that I can forward them into > this conversation. Of perhaps greatest value would be examples of > exemplary housing and community design that you think they should know > about. > > And for you fellow baby boomers who will be part of the 5 million NYS > oldsters in 2025, maybe it is a good idea to spend some time imagining > exactly what kind of housing and community design will be appealing to > you and your family in the future. What kind of transitions do you > imagine for yourself in terms of housing and how that relates to your > other needs? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. > > Please send along by Wednesday afternoon. > > thanks, > Gay > > ---------------------------------------------------- > Gay Nicholson, Ph.D. > > 607-533-7312 (home office) > 607-279-6618 (cell) > > 1 Maple Avenue > Lansing, NY 14882 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sustainable Tompkins > Program Coordinator > www.sustainabletompkins.org > > Southern Tier Energy$mart Communities > Regional Coordinator > Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County > 615 Willow Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County > area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org **************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. 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