People of all ages deserve communities that have infrastructure and programming that support active, independent living and enable residents to safely engage in social and civic activities. But in some communities in New Jersey, the built environment actually serves as a barrier for people of different age and ability. Older residents who want to remain in neighborhoods that are familiar to them may encounter challenges, such as difficulty reaching destinations without a personal vehicle or downsizing or retrofitting their homes. Similarly, families with children may find crossing streets to be precarious, or young professionals may have trouble finding affordable homes to purchase or rent, and may be more interested in a car-free life.

A pillar of RPA’s work has been the development of healthy and livable communities. Since 2022, RPA has worked closely with age-friendly stakeholders and advocates in New Jersey on how changes in the built environment can make communities more accessible and livable for residents. This has ranged from aging in place with ADUs to sharing resources and best practices with age-friendly communities.

With the support of the Henry & Marilyn Taub Foundation, RPA recently organized a series of webinars on infrastructure funding and building for age-friendly communities. Each webinar focused on different aspects of the built environment, including parks and open space, transportation, and housing. The webinars featured professionals and advocates of age-friendly communities and discussed how New Jerseyans can advocate for age-friendly investments in their communities.

Access to parks and open space for individuals of all ages increases engagement and connection to nature, which is beneficial for mental and physical health. Providing maintenance and programming can also increase community ties and reduce isolation for residents. On August 1st, 2023, RPA spoke with advocates and experts, including Nadia Mian, Senior Program Director at Ralph W. Voorhees Center for Civic Engagement and a lecturer at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy; Scott Dvorak, Associate Vice President and New Jersey State Director at Trust for Public Land; and Elizabeth McGrady, Founding Member and Vice President of The Friends of Nat Turner Park in Newark, NJ, Co-President of United Parks As One, and President of the Newark-University Area AARP Chapter.

During the conversation, listeners learned about the importance of including a diverse set of stakeholders not just in the final design of a park or open space, but in the beginning stages of planning the park and in the maintenance and programming. Creating parks and preserving open space also takes time and perseverance, especially to create something that is unique and suits a community.

Finally, the panelists stressed that it is important to provide different options for people to have their voice heard and to create a sense of ownership of the park or open space within a community.

Affordable, reliable transportation systems and well-designed streets can improve safety, increase access to community hubs, shops, and services, and reduce isolation for residents. On August 7th, 2023, RPA spoke with age-friendly advocates and transportation experts Gary Toth, Founding member of Placemakers Guild; Jasmine Grossmann, Principal Planner for TMA & Mobility Programs at North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority; and Karen Alexander, Managing Director of the New Jersey Travel Independence Program (NJTIP) at Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center.

The webinar kicked off with presentations on how transportation networks play an important role in the creation of age-friendly communities, which can be seen below.

The presentations were followed by a conversation on how to identify and advocate for transportation improvements that facilitate an age-friendly community. Gary Toth explained that obstacles to age-friendly transportation systems include municipal zoning ordinances, engineering decisions that prioritize driving cars, government agencies not working collaboratively and competing for resources, and the difficulties for community members in understanding how best to work with these agencies to effect change. To address these obstacles, it is important to understand the issue that you want to address, to ask the right questions in terms of what is feasible, and to align with other local advocacy groups that have shared goals.

Finally, those who want to create an age-friendly community need to be in the conversation, take every opportunity to provide input, and work on building strong relationships with those who are in charge of building and maintaining transportation systems.

Affordable, well-designed, diverse housing options can make it easier for individuals to live comfortably in their homes and reduce isolation, and can also help address our statewide housing crisis. Our final webinar was held on August 15th, 2023, and featured an engaging conversation with Councilwoman Mia Sacks, Council President of Princeton, New Jersey; Harold Simon, Former Executive Director of Shelterforce; and Diane Riley, Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey.

Throughout the webinar, listeners heard about efforts to increase affordable age-friendly housing, from establishing senior housing and passing ADU ordinances, to creating rent controls and changing master plans to have more inclusive zoning. The conversation highlighted many examples of these efforts including the creation of supportive housing complexes in Allendale, the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Developmental Disabilities in Toms River, and the access weekend in Ridgewood. Also discussed was the importance of coalition building in order to find common needs and resources to strengthen efforts in creating affordable age-friendly housing.

Each panelist weighed in on how to take the first step in becoming involved in affordable age-friendly housing. Diane recommended listeners to look in their community for the groups working on creating more affordable housing or reach out to organizations like the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey or Housing Community Development Network. Mia told listeners to dive into topics on affordable housing by talking to experts and attending conferences. Harold Simon added that listeners can attend council and planning board meetings to find people who support affordable age-friendly housing, or they can work within municipalities.