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2021 AARP Livable Communities Workshop Materials and Resources

Find links to websites and documents recommended by the workshop's speakers and panelists

The following resources — which were provided by the workshop's invited guests as supplements to their presentations and panels — are listed in alphabetical order according to organization name.


The Workshop

Graphic promoting the Livable Communities Engaging Older Adults workshop

AARP Livable Communities

Click on the image to see the workshop schedule and landing page.

AARP Disrupt Aging

Description: Disrupt Aging® is a global movement that's shaping the future of aging by challenging outdated beliefs about what it means to get older and sparking new solutions so people can choose how to live as they age. 

Contributor: Bob Hoffman, AARP Volunteer, Engagement Workshop Committee Member


AARP Illinois

Description: Broadcast on Spotify and hosted by Bob Gallo and Rosanna Marquez of AARP Illinois, this program spotlights extraordinary Illinoisans age 50-plus who are giving back to their communities in meaningful ways. 

Contributor: Bob Gallo, State Director, AARP Illinois


AARP International

Description: Espacio Lúdico, a nongovernmental organization in Santiago, Chile, uses games and play to engage the public in planning open spaces. 

Contributor: Stephanie Firestone, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor, AARP International


AARP Livable Communities

Description: A major challenge for livability initiatives is how to help community members connect despite their differences of (to name just a few characteristics) age, race, religion, ethnicity, education, income, health, household composition, length of residency, political views and lifestyle. Interactive, improvisational theater — in which performers act out real-life scenarios and then enlist the audience's help in finding solutions — is a time-tested tool for resolving conflicts, facilitating change and building resilience. 

Contributor: Melissa Stanton, Editor/Senior Advisor, AARP Livable Communities


AARP North Carolina

Description: The John N. Smith Cemetery is a not-for-profit outdoor space that has been a community icon since it was established in 1880, when the trustees of an African American Methodist Church purchased land for the sole purpose of making it a graveyard. Among the more than 1,725 graves are those of African American enslaved people, farmers, teachers, businessmen, laborers, domestic servants, homemakers and veterans dating from the Civil War and subsequent military campaigns. AARP has helped in the cemetery's restoration as an outdoor musuem and historic public space.

Contributor: Suzanne LaFollette-Black, AARP Volunteer


Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County (among others)

Description: Created under the leadership of Ohio Department of Transportation Older Road User Committee, the Safe Routes to Age in Place program researched the individual, behavioral, and environmental components of mobility experienced by older adults. The report was written by Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio State College of Social Work along with the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work.

Contributor: Katie White, Director, Age-Friendly Communities, The Ohio State University


Atlanta Regional Commission

  • Empowerline: A self-service site that connects adults with disabilities and older adults, as well as their caregivers, with trusted community resources

Cities of Service

Cover of A Practical Guide to Engaging Volunteers Aged 50+ Online

Cities of Service

Click on the image to visit the Cities of Service website and download the guide.


Cities of Service

Download A Practical Guide to Engaging Volunteers Aged 50+ Online, a free publication that can help practitioners assess the issues they want to address with residents, deliberate with the community, and take action and sustain communication.

Description: The Atlanta Regional Commission is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 11-county, 75-city Atlanta region.

Contributor: Doug Hooker, Executive Director, Atlanta Regional Commission


City of Seattle, Washington

Description: When government agencies engage via hybrid events with language access options, they build connections with underserved communities including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) older adults, immigrant and refugee elders. By partnering with community organizations, these agencies decentralize information delivery (i.e., “meet people where they are”) and increase civic participation for all.

Contributor: Lenny Orlov, Age Friendly Seattle Program Coordinator, City of Seattle


Kūpuna Food Security Coalition

Description: The report is a chronicle of the coalition's efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and serves as a roadmap for future emergency feeding and other efforts to develop a more resilient food system that best serves Hawaiʻi's kūpuna (or older adults).

Contributor: Lindsey Ilagan, Program Manager, Hawaii Public Health Institute


Wabash Valley Art Spaces

Description: NEIGHBORS is an interactive public art project conceived by artist Matthew Mazzotta for Herz-Rose Park in the Ryves neighborhood of Terre Haute, Indiana. Two house-like structures with permanent seating offer year-round opportunities for gathering and can transform into a variety of orientations, allowing for creative programming to address community-identified needs. 

Contributor: Matthew Mazzotta, Artist and Lecturer


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