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2016 AARP Livable Communities National Conference — Chicago, Illinois

The focus was transportation, and speakers including former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and "open streets" pioneer Gil Penalosa stole the show. Watch the video


spinner image Gil Penalosa speaking at the 2016 AARP Livable Communities National Conference
Day 2 Keynote Speaker: Gil Penalosa, 8 80 Cities
Photo by AARP Illinois

Local leaders, representatives from members of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities and livability experts gathered for the 4th Annual AARP Livable Communities National Conference to share ideas, best practices and solutions for making towns, cities and communities nationwide more livable and age-friendly for people of all ages.

Many of the sessions — including dynamic presentations by former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and 8 80 Cities creator Gil Penalosa — can be viewed by clicking on the video links below.

Sessions and Workshops: Day 1

Opening Session

  • IntroductionJean Setzfand, Senior Vice President Programs, AARP

  • Keynote: Ray LaHood, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation

  • DiscussionModerator: Jean Setzfand
    Panelists: Mayor Daniel Mandell, Elmira, New York | Mayor Greg Stanton, Phoenix, Arizona | Roger Millar, Secretary of Transportation, Washington | Senator Chris Walters, State Senator, West Virginia

  • Perspectives From Different Transportation Sectors 
    Moderator: Bob Gallo, State Director, AARP Illinois
    Panelists: Larry Kwiecinski, Senior Manager, Global Safety Center, General Motors | Rebekah Scheinfeld, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Transportation | Helen Kerschner, Director, National Volunteer Transportation Center | Lindsay Elin, Head of Community Engagement, Uber | Leah Shahum, Executive Director, Vision Zero Network 

Breakout Sessions 

  • Era of Disruption: Transportation Technology Innovations in Rural Communities
    Presenters: Jana Lynott, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor, AARP Public Policy Institute; Ross MacDonald, Go Vermont Program Manager, VTrans; Valerie Lefler, President and CEO, Liberty Mobility Now, Inc.; Katherine Freund, Founder and President, ITN America 

  • Who's On Board? How Older Americans Use Public Transit. How to Make it Work for More People
    PresenterSteven Higashide, Senior Program Analyst, TransitCente

  • We Should Have a Sidewalk Here!! Now What? (How to Get the Facilities Your Community Deserves)
    PresentersSuraiya Motsinger, Sr. Transportation Planner, WMPO ; Suzanne LaFollette-Black, Associate State Director, AARP North Carolina

  • Vision Zero: Prioritizing Safe Mobility for All
    Presenters:
     Leah Shahum, Executive Director, Vision Zero Network; Shannon Guzman, Policy Research Senior Analyst, AARP Public Policy Institute; Luis Campillo, Los Angeles Metro Manager, AARP California; Shirley Gonzales, Councilwoman, City of San Antonio 

  • Lifting Roadblocks to Building Complete Streets: Bringing Culture Change to Your State DOT
    Presenters:
     Karen Kafantaris, Associate State Director for Community Outreach, AARP Michigan; Roger Millar, Secretary, Washington State Department of Transportation; Michele Boomhower, Director of Policy, Planning and Intermodal Development, VTrans; Coralette Hannon, Senior Legislative Representative, AARP State Advocacy & Strategy Integration; Victor Dover, Founding Principal, Dover, Kohl & Partners 

  • Complete Streets: Moving from Policy to Action
    Presenters
    : Debra Alvarez, Senior Legislative Representative, AARP; Jason Broehm, Transportation Analyst, U.S. DOT; Emiko Atherton, Director, National Complete Streets Coalition; Brian McGuire, Associate State Director for Advocacy, AARP New Jersey; Dr. Jeanne George, Volunteer, AARP Louisiana 

  • Local Ballot Propositions to Fund Transportation Infrastructure
    Presenters: Dana Kennedy, State Director, AARP Arizona; Vice Mayor Kate Gallego, District 8 Councilwoman, City of Phoenix; Steve Jennings, Associate State Director for Advocacy, AARP Arizona 

  • Addressing Transportation via Multisector Coalition
    Presenters: Dr. Kathy Black, Age-Friendly Sarasota Initiative Consultant, The Patterson Foundation; Professor, University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee; Laura Cantwell, Associate State Director for Advocacy, AARP Florida; Gail Holley, Safe Mobility for Life Program and Research Manager, Florida Department of Transportation 

Self-Guided Field Trip or Tactical Urbanism Demonstration 

  • Presenter: Robert Ping, Executive Director, Walkable and Livable Communities Institute

Sessions and Workshops: Day 2

Opening Session

  • IntroductionLesly Flores, Wellness Manager, City of Brownsville Public Health Department
  • Keynote: Gil Penalosa, MBA, PhDhc, CSP, Founder and Chair, 8 80 Cities, Chair, World Urban Parks

Discussion: Global Housesharing Trends

  • Moderator: Josh Collett, Vice President International Affairs, AARP 
  • Featured Guest: Max Pomeranc, Regional Head of Public Policy, Airbnb 

Global Perspectives on Age-Friendly Communities 

  • Moderator: Josh Collett, Vice President International Affairs, AARP 
  • Panelist: Louise Plouffe, Director of Research, International Longevity Centre Canada 

Questions & Answers

  • Panelist: Gil Penalosa

Breakout Sessions

  • Engaging with Funders: Communities and Funders Share Insights on Partnerships
    Presenters:
     Andrea Burns, Director, Age-Friendly Boston; Peter Morelli, Consultant, AARP Maine; Nora Moreno-Cargie, President, Tufts Health Plan Foundation; Dr. Kathy Black, Age-Friendly Sarasota Initiative Consultant, The Patterson Foundation; Professor, University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee; Al Cressy, Chair, Bethel Age-Friendly Committee; Meg Callaway, Elder Services Coordinator, Charlotte White Center 
  • Communicating Coast to Coast: Telling the Livable Communities Story from California to Maine and Everywhere in Between
    Presenters: Joy Hepp, Associate State Director for Communications, AARP California; Patricia Oh, Consultant, AARP Maine; Gail Kohn, DC Age-Friendly City Coordinator, DC Government
  • Can Your Community's Comprehensive Plan Be More 'Livable'?
    Presenter: Kent Sovern, State Director, AARP Iowa Presentation
  • Planning Healthy Communities For All
    Presenters:
     Aliza Norcross, Project Associate, American Planning Association; Milena Bernardinello, Healthy Community Planner, Capital Region Healthy Communities; Kate Riordan, Active Living Program Manager, Health by Design
  • The Livability Index: Creating Livable and Healthy Communities for People of All Ages
    Presenters:
     Shannon Guzman, Policy Research Senior Analyst, AARP Public Policy Institute; Jana Lynott, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor, AARP Public Policy Institute; Dr. Rodney Harrell, Director of Livable Communities and Thought Leadership, AARP Public Policy Institute; Kimberly Smith, Associate State Director for Advocacy, AARP California 
  • Candidate and Voter Engagement: A Primer on How to Raise the Bar and Issues
    Presenters: Bandana Shrestha, Associate State Director for Advocacy & Outreach, AARP Oregon; Nick Fish, City Commissioner, Portland City Council; Jerry Cohen, State Director, AARP Oregon
  • Volunteers Make Age-Friendly Communities Happen
    PresentersJane King, Strategic Planning Chair, Alexandria Commission on Aging; Community Ambassador, AARP Virginia; Sue Ballou, Co-Chair Housing Priority Group, Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities in Larimer County; Bob Prath, Chair, Livable Communities Advisory Team, AARP California;  Margot Seay, National Volunteer Director, AARP; Megan Hookey, Vice President, AARP Office of Volunteer Engagement
  • NeighborWalks: A Collaborative Community Walking Program
    Presenters: Bandana Shrestha, Director of Community Engagement, AARP Oregon; Carmel Perez Snyder, Director of Advocacy & Outreach, AARP Oregon 
  • In the Beginning: Portland and New York ... Past, Present and Future
    Presenters: Jerry Cohen, State Director, AARP Oregon; Beth Finkel, State Director, AARP New York; Nick Fish, City Commissioner, Portland City Council; Lindsey Goldman, Deputy Director, Healthy Aging, The New York Academy of Medicine
  • The Lifetime Communities Collaborative: A New Approach in the Metropolitan Chicago Region
    Presenters: Brad Winick, Consultant, Catalyst/Dot Connector, Planning/Aging; Rosanna Marquez, State President, AARP Illinois; Rosa Ortiz, Program Director, Enterprise Community Partners; Sharon Post, Director, Center for Long-Term Care Reform, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group
  • HomeFit — The Win/Win — How State Offices Can Work with Occupational Therapists
    Presenters: Karen Kafantaris, Associate State Director, AARP Michigan: Laura Cantwell, Associate State Director, AARP Florida; Michael O'Connor, Occupational Therapist OTRL, CAPS, CBIST, Michigan
  • Finding Affordable Housing Solutions to Displacement
    Presenters: Carmel Perez Snyder, Associate State Director for Advocacy & Outreach, AARP Oregon; Christine Lundberg, Mayor, Springfield, Oregon; Courtney Griesel, Economic Development Manager, Springfield, Oregon 
  • Financing Your Way to a Livable Community
    Presenters: Barrie Tabin Berger, Senior Legislative Representative, AARP Government Affairs; Bandana Shrestha, Director of Community Engagement, AARP Oregon; Amy Gallant, Advocacy Director, AARP Maine; Christopher Widelo, Associate Director of Advocacy, AARP New York
  • What’s Good for Older Adults is Good for Children: Public Policy Collaboration in Advancing Healthy Communities
    Presenters: Marla Hollander, National Partnership Manager, American Heart Association; Stephanie Ramirez, Associate State Director, Advocacy, AARP California; Jessica Meaney, Managing Director, Investing in Place

More from AARP.org/Livable

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More from AARP.org/Livable

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