ARC-Led Team Receives EPA Grant to Develop Land Use Strategies to Meet the Needs of Older Adults
(ATLANTA - July 25, 2007) Metro Atlanta is one of six communities around the country selected to receive customized technical assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help them put the principles of more efficient, affordable and environmentally sensitive growth into action.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), in partnership with the City of Fayetteville and Fayette Senior Services, requested assistance in crafting a strategic senior housing plan to meet the current and future needs of the city’s growing older adult population. This project will be the region’s first comprehensive look at senior housing needs and the wide range of tools to meet the demand. The plan will bring together local policies, incentives, state and federal subsidies, public and private partnerships to help create age-friendly neighborhoods. Combining expertise from both aging and planning professionals, the strategy will provide guidance to developers and allow the City of Fayetteville to measure the value of proposed projects.
With the percentage of older adults in the region expected to double by 2030, ARC has been exploring strategies to create communities that allow older adults to age in place. Such communities include compact, walkable neighborhoods where seniors can live near services and social opportunities. Living in these neighborhoods will mean that seniors and other residents can drive less, reducing air pollution from automobiles; walk more, keeping individuals healthier as they age and remain independent even after they give up their car keys. Locating housing for older adults within existing communities means grandparents are more likely to live near grandchildren and long-time friends and neighbors, not only increasing opportunities for social interaction but also expanding informal support networks.
The work in Fayetteville will serve as a model for communities throughout the region. Fayetteville was chosen because the city has seen and will continue to experience extraordinary rates of growth in its older adult population. From 2000 to 2005 the 55+ population in Fayette County grew by more than 40 percent compared to less than 15 percent growth in the total population. Between 2005 and 2030, the older adult population will grow by more than 200 percent. Beyond simple demographics, Fayetteville was chosen because local elected officials and professionals in both the planning and aging communities were willing to come together and think out of the box.
According to research conducted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government for ARC, 60 percent of Fayette County seniors hope to live in their current home for the rest of their lives. Some 97 percent currently drive. When asked how they will get around when they can no longer drive, 63 percent said they plan to rely on others and 19 percent said they do not know what they will do.
Commenting on the grant, Fayetteville Mayor Ken Steele said, “We have developed a lot of good plans over the last couple years. We’ve explored various tools and incentives in the past. This project will allow the City to pull all of what we have together, analyze the gaps and fashion a more comprehensive vision for growing older in Fayetteville. We look forward to sharing all we discover with the rest of the metro region.”
The Atlanta Regional Commission will provide technical assistance to communities interested in developing similar strategies through its Lifelong Communities project.
In addition to the Atlanta region, other grantees around the country include the California Department of Transportation, the cities of Denver, Colorado and Greensboro, North Carolina, Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky and Valley Metro Transit with the cities of Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona. More information about the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program and the communities chosen is available on the EPA Web site.
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