2019 AARP Livable Communities Rural Livability Workshop Breakout Sessions: June 19

AARP Livable Communities 2019 Livability Workshop

1. Infrastructure (Broadband) | Download the Presentation

Access to Broadband internet service is a significant problem in many rural places. Learn how to change that.

Broadband: AARP’s 2019 Advocacy Agenda

Coralette Hannon, Senior Legislative Representative AARP State Advocacy and Strategy

Find the Intersection to the Connection

Ambre Marr, State Legislative Director, AARP Indiana

Rural Library Hotspot Lending Programs

Joy McGill, Associate State Director/Outreach, AARP Oklahoma

2. Transportation | Download the Presentation

Being able to walk, bike or "roll" safely to shop, dine, get to needed services and simply get out of the house keeps people connected to their communities and is good for the local economy. Learn about the important roles played by local partners and be introduced to innovative solutions for calming traffic and enhancing walkability.

No Small Potatoes: Making the Case for Walking and Bicycling in Rural Idaho

Donald Kostelec, Principal, Vitruvian Planning Kite in Sight?

Please Slow Down

Donna Palmer, Member, Living Well in North Yarmouth, Maine Developing Transportation

Partnerships and Improving Outreach to Help Address Transportation Gaps

Sylvia von Aulock, Executive Director Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission

3. Intergenerational Communities | Download the Presentation

Bringing people of different ages together helps bridge generation gaps and encourages community livability. The panelists will highlight examples of intergenerational programs, places and community events. They'll also explore the economic and community benefits (and challenges) of developing such activities and spaces.

Moderator: Jay Haapala, Associate State Director/Community Engagement, AARP Minnesota

AGE to Age: Bringing Generations Together in Northeast Minnesota

Lynn Haglin, Vice President, Northland Foundation

The Elements of a Successful Multigenerational Space

Andrea Bozarth, Associate State Director/Community Outreach, AARP Kansas

Big Project Days: Generations Working Together to Make Community Stronger

Sarah Davis, Coordinator, Cumberland Aging in Place (Maine)
Teri Maloney-Kelly, Coordinator, Big Project Days (Maine)

4. Infrastructure (Partnerships) | Download the Presentation

Great livability projects are built from great partnerships. The panelists will explore the challenges of developing innovative new programs and making them sustainable once initial funding sources are no longer available.

Age-Friendly Forsyth: Building a Common Agenda with Diverse Partners

Lee Covington, President/CEO Senior Services of Forsyth, North Carolina

Developing a Community Paramedicine Program

Anne Schroth, Healthy Aging Program Coordinator, Healthy Peninsula Coordinator, Age-Friendly Coastal Communities (Maine)

Roadmap to Sustainable Funding for Rural Livability

Jeff Veltkamp, Director of Development South Dakota Community Foundation

5. Extreme Weather and Disasters | Download the Presentation

Weather events can be especially devastating in rural areas, where communications infrastructure is lacking and disaster preparedness plans aren't well developed. Learn how to work with municipal and state emergency management officials to prepare community residents of all ages for a disaster.

Communicate, Prepare ... Then Communicate!

Wendell Alfred, Volunteer, AARP Delaware
Kimberly Iapulucci, Associate State Director/Communications, AARP Delaware

Lessons of Disaster (Hurricane María)

Pedro M. Cardona, Roig Architect and Planner, Member, AARP Executive Council, AARP Puerto Rico

Preparing for a Hurricane in a Remote Community

Troy Schuster, State Director, AARP Virgin Islands

6. Community Engagement | Download the Presentation

Successful livability initiatives engage residents in conversations about the best ways to enhance livability. Learn about the innovative tools that can help engage your community.

Building Community Interest and Excitement: A Grassroots Approach

Nancy Andersen, Outreach Director, AARP Montana

The University as a Partner in Community Wellness

Jermaine Mitchell, Ph.D Assistant Professor, Exercise and Nutrition Science University of Montevallo (Alabama)

Improvisational Theater: Co-Creating a Conversation About Aging, Health and Resilience

Bill Primmerman, Community Health Educator Somerset Public Health (Skowhegan, Maine)

7. Extreme Weather and Disasters | Download the Presentation

Dangerous weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards) can appear in any part of the country. Hear how AARP state offices and community partners have helped (and are helping) rural residents prepare for and cope with the aftermath of weather-related hardships and disasters.

Disaster Planning Before and After

Dorothy Dorton, Associate State Director/Outreach, AARP Alabama

Connecting in Community Post-Hurricane Michael

Leslie Spencer, Associate State Director, Advocacy/Outreach, AARP Florida

Safe Sidewalks and Connected Communities

Sara Grant, Chair, Augusta Age-Friendly (Maine) All-Volunteer Telephone Reassurance Program
Betsy Armstrong, Chair, Age-Friendly Surry (Maine)

8. Transportation | Download the Presentation

Have you heard how self-driving cars will be the solution for so many transportation challenges? Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Assessing a community's needs and planning realistic solutions is critical for implementing systems and services that will provide residents with effectve, accessible ways to get around. The panelists will discuss different approaches to transportation planning and how such plans are translated into action.

How Small Towns Can Strengthen Transportation Options With or Without Technology

Daniel Piatkowski, Assistant Professor, Urban and Regional Planning University of Nebraska

How Do We Know What We Need? Local Approaches for Assessing Needs and Planning Solutions

Jim Becker, Executive Director, Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities in Larimer County (Colorado)

Driven Outside the Box: Implementing Novel Transportation Programming

Kathy Black, Age-Friendly Communities Consultant, AARP Florida Professor of Aging Studies, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee

9. Housing | Download the Presentation

Housing choices that are affordable and appropriate for individuals and families at different life stages enable people of all ages to thrive in a community. Such housing options are also good for the local economy.

Moderator: LaKeeshia Fox, Legislative Representative, State and Federal Housing, AARP State Advocacy and Strategy

Principles for Creating Housing Affordability and Choice

Joan McGrath, Chief Program Officer, LOR Foundation

Developing Housing Options for All Stages of Life

Nate Rudy, City Manager, Hallowell, Maine

Elder Cohousing and Other Innovative Living Arrangements

Anne Glass, Professor and Gerontology Program Coordinator University of North Carolina Wilmington

10. Infrastructure (Parks) | Download the Presentation

Public parks bring people of all ages together. Hear from communities that have developed vital, active parks and successfully host intergenerational opportunities for outdoor music, play and fitness.

Video: Blackfeet Park

Tim Summers, State Director, AARP Montana

Engaging the Visitor Through Experience-Based Programming and Events

Matt Schanandore, Interpretive Events Director, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, North Dakota

A Day in the Park: Music with Friends (of All Ages!)

Elaine Abbott, Fellow, UMaine Center on Aging

Video: Friendship Park

Gary Williams, Associate State Director/Community Outreach, AARP New Mexico

11. Intergenerational Communities | Download the Presentation

Three Maine communities share how they have brought older and younger people together around a community garden, by creating opportunities for sixth-grade students to interview older residents, and by developing an intergenerational drum circle.

Generations of Dirt: Developing an Accessible Community Garden