Livable Communities

by Elaine Friesen-Strang

There are many reasons for walking - for health and wellness, to get to places and save gas, and of course, to connect with community! Join AARP Oregon and Rogue Valley Transportation District this September for two great NeighborWalks in the Rogue Valley. Get your steps in, meet new people, and explore Medford and Grantspass on foot. These walks are part of the Oregon Drive Less Challenge.

Two Oregon organizations, SquareOne Villages in Eugene and the Port Orford Main Street Revitalization Association, will receive the AARP Community Challenge funding. the AARP project aims to create change and improve quality of life at the local level.

AARP volunteers will kick off the first NeighborWalks program in

Livable Communities include a choice of affordable housing - row houses, multi-plexes, cottages -- all smaller units that are affordable. AARP Oregon, AIA – Southwest Oregon, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Better Eugene Springfield Transportation (BEST), Transportation Growth Management Program, held a Livability Solutions Forum: The Future of Housing on April 12. The event focused on exploring how Lane County can create more housing options.

On April 13th, AARP Oregon, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Rogue Valley Council of Governments, Transportation Growth Management Program, Oregon Chapter of American Planners Association hosted the Rogue Valley 17 Livability Solutions Forum: Future of Housing in Medford. The event focused on exploring how the Jackson and Josephine Counties can create more housing options, identifying barriers and challenges to more innovative housing that support residents across age, ability and income spectrums and how “missing middle housing” can be instrumental in building successful multi-generational communities.

Now in his 70’s, Ron Herndon has no immediate plans to retire. He enjoys working with a staff of over 300 and watching what they are able to do. “As long as I bring something to the organization, I’ll keep doing it,” he says with a smile.

Thirty-five percent of Oregonians live in rural areas, and of those, 44 percent are 65 or older. Yet rural communities lag behind in offering health care, transportation and other services that make a community age-friendly.

What do you do when your family members’ situation dramatically changes so that they cannot maintain their independence without assistance? What if it happens to a friend or neighbor? In what ways can we create more interdependent communities?

Just about everyone wants their community to be "livable." But what does that mean exactly? AARP defines it as a community that is built for people of all ages. The formula for what makes a community livable is not complex, but there are nuances that help create a people-friendly environment, one that is safe and accessible and is a great place to live. With that in mind, test your knowledge about livability. If you picked up a questions sheet at a local event, you'll find the answers below.