Age-friendly network communities and equity

_THE TOWNS, CITIES, COUNTIES AND STATES ENROLLED IN THE AARP NETWORK OF AGE-FRIENDLY STATES AND COMMUNITIES STRIVE TO CREATE GREAT PLACES FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. __SEVERAL OF THE NETWORK’S

MEMBER COMMUNITIES HAVE PLACED EQUITY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THEIR WORK, INCLUDING BY RECKONING WITH PAST DECISIONS, NORMS AND LONG-STANDING POLICIES THAT SHAPE THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND HAVE

MANIFESTED IN UNEQUAL AND UNEVEN CONDITIONS. LINKS TO ARTICLES ABOUT THE EFFORTS OF 11 COMMUNITIES APPEAR FURTHER DOWN ON THIS PAGE._ Although the 8 Domains of Livability — upon which the

AARP age-friendly framework rests — do not explicitly address equity, they do provide a fulsome context for addressing disparities and establishing goals and activities that deliver better

and more equitable outcomes. COMMUNITY RESPONSES: ARIZONA CALIFORNIA FLORIDA  GEORGIA HAWAII OHIO PENNSYLVANIA TEXAS Local leaders are demonstrating how equity approaches can be advanced and

accelerated through their age-friendly work. In some cases, the term “equity” is clearly used in the age-friendly action plan and is established as a core value that shapes the community’s

work. In others, equity is not explicitly mentioned, but the age-friendly approach — one that strengthens participation for and representation of underrepresented groups — has nevertheless

been successful at delivering more equitable outcomes in housing, transportation and public spaces. This page contains links to stories that showcase the ways towns, cities and counties are

using the livability domains to address disparities that impact, among other groups, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community or low-income households. The stories reflect a journey

to better ensure that the voices, concerns, needs and wishes of vulnerable or overlooked populations are heard and acted upon. Community practices include disaggregating data to understand

the needs of low-income seniors and targeting resources to them; ensuring that programming is accessible, culturally-relevant and translated if needed; and partnering with others to build

relationships, trust and greater impact. The ability of local leaders to deliver upon goals and activities that enable opportunities and broaden access reveals the ability of age-friendly

work to create communities that serve the needs of _all _residents. SOLUTION THEMES SUPPORTING SENIORS: By engaging older residents from a variety of neighborhoods and demographic groups,

local leaders empower residents to impact outcomes. _(Examples of this work can be found in the articles about West Hollywood, California, and Wilton Manors, Florida, among others.)_

CULTURALLY DISTINCTIVE PROGRAMMING: Information is being provided in multiple languages, culturally appropriate foods are being served, and meeting are happening in places where people

already gather and feel comfortable. _(Examples of this work can be found in the articles about Austin, Texas, and Miami-Dade County, Florida, among others.)_ PARTNERSHIPS: Work is being

done by and with organizations that have existing ties to particular communities. _(Examples of this work can be found in the articles about Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Honolulu, Hawaii,

among others.)_ TRANSPORTATION: Efforts are underway to advance safer, more "complete" streets in at-risk communities and low-income neighborhoods. _(Examples of this work can be

found in the articles about Tucson, Arizona, and Atlanta, Georgia, among others.)_ PRIORITIZING PLACES: Outreach and other efforts are being directed toward communities with significant or

specific needs based on research and data. _(Examples of this work can be found in the articles about Columbus, Ohio, and San Antonio, Texas, among others.)_ MAKING POLICY CHANGES:

Improvements to government approaches can expand transportation choices, municipal services and housing options. _(Examples of this work can be found in the articles about Austin, Texas, and

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, among others.)_ DISRUPTING DISPARITIES AARP New York has led a multiyear effort known as “Disrupt Disparities,” which seeks to identify and address the ways

older adults do not equally benefit from access to secure housing, health and communities. Noting that access varies widely across racial and income groups, the work has resulted in policy

recommendations that, when adopted, can result in more equitable and livable communities. (Find AARP New York’s findings and policy recommendations here.) This state-led focus has expanded

into an AARP-wide effort in which equity is defined as an approach and process “_to achieve fairness and impartiality by offering different interventions targeted to individual needs and

conditions in order to make opportunities the same as another's._” One component of AARP's ongoing work related to equity, diversity and inclusion is the AARP _Equity by Design_ 

dialogue series. Hosted by AARP International, built-environment leaders from throughout the world share their perspectives about why equitable, diverse, multigenerational communities are so

needed and what it will take to achieve them. RELATED _Reporting for the community profiles occured in late 2020._ More from AARP.org/Livable  Use the dropdown to choose a livability topic.

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