The latest edition of the AARP Livability Index reveals the U.S. regions with more of the kinds of neighborhoods that offer quality of life benefits for residents of all ages.

Whitney Airgood-Obycki and Jennifer Molinsky share insights from the latest AARP Livability Index, co-authored with the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
"The AARP Livability Index offers a multifaceted approach to understanding what makes communities livable for people of all ages. The index is composed of seven categories: engagement, environment, health, housing, neighborhood, opportunity, and transportation. Each category includes several metrics drawn from publicly available data sources," according to the article's explanation of the Livability Index.
Among the geographic themes to emerge from the study are that the Northeast and the Midwest tend to have the most livable neighborhoods, according to Airgood-Obycki and Molinsky. More specifically: "In the Northeast region, 32 percent of neighborhoods are in the top national quintile, as are 24 percent of those in the Midwest, 20 percent in the West, and just 9 percent in the South."
"On average, block groups in the Northeast also have the highest overall livability score of 53.8, nearly 5 points higher than the average of 49.0 in the South. Northeastern communities score higher than all other regions in three categories: engagement, neighborhood, and transportation."
The article concludes with a call to action: that all neighborhoods can be livable, no matter where they are found. "The great benefit of the Index is that it enables communities to recognize the features they already have and identify areas for improvement."
FULL STORY: THE GEOGRAPHY OF LIVABILITY: INSIGHTS FROM AARP’S LIVABILITY INDEX

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Seattle Safe Parking Site to Close, Relocate
A nonprofit leases lots during permitting stages to erect tiny homes and RV safe parking sites for unhoused residents. But the model means constant uncertainty and displacement.

LA ‘Mobility Wallet’ Increased Quality of Life for Participants
The city distributed a monthly $150 transportation subsidy to 1,000 low-income Angelenos. It dramatically improved their lives.

Texas, California Rail Projects Seek Out Private Funding
In the wake of Trump’s cuts to high-speed rail projects, rail authorities are looking to private-public partnerships to supplement their budgets.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions