Tuesday, October 18, 2016

"The Future of Retirement Communities: Walkable and Urban."


When all is said and done, it's a great deal more likely that NA's Breakwind Lofts at Duggins Flats apartments will attract empty-nesters rather than millennials.

As this and hundreds of other news items attest, what these age groups have in common is an interest in walkability. In the massive irony for which New Albany is renowned, the foremost opponent of walkable, bikeable two-way streets is Padgett Inc, which sits atop a slam-dunk redevelopment acreage bonanza, one made potentially even more valuable by the very mobility reforms Padgett opposes.

Literally, Padgett might have its cake and eat it, too -- but no. It's in the water, folks, and what comes of the water?

We use it to make Kool-Aid, of course.

The Future of Retirement Communities: Walkable and Urban, by John F. Wasik (New York Times)

FEW people in America walk to work. Most of us drive to the supermarket. But more older people these days are looking for a community where they can enjoy a full life without a car ...

... Enter a new paradigm: the walkable, urban space. It may range from existing neighborhoods in places like Brooklyn or San Francisco to newly built housing within city and suburban cores from coast to coast. Though not primarily for retirees, places like Reston, Va., and Seaside, Fla., were early examples of the new urbanism built from the ground up. Among senior housing projects, examples include Waterstone at Wellesley along the Charles River in the Boston area and The Lofts at McKinley in downtown Phoenix. The theme is simple: Get out and walk to basic services.

Walkability, though, is much more than a hip marketing pitch. It’s linked to better health, social engagement and higher property values.

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