Neighborhood connections and animal companions matter to aging with dignity, and how we build can support them. Here’s a human-scale proposal for aging in place.
Paws & Porchlight is a new housing concept from the Utah Manufactured Housing Coalition designed to meet the emotional and practical needs of older adults who want to age in place — with their pets and their dignity intact. The proposal features 12 small, energy-efficient cottage homes arranged along a walkable path, each with a porch, a yard, and access to communal spaces like a dog run and garden.
Built for speed, affordability, and community, these HUD-compliant manufactured homes can be installed in under 90 days at around $100,000 per unit. The goal isn’t high density—it’s high quality of life. The project responds to a growing crisis: aging adults being forced into housing that separates them from pets, community, and familiarity.
Paws & Porchlight envisions a village — not a facility — where people can grow old in place, keep their companions, and stay connected to the neighborhoods they helped build.
Read the full story: Porches, Pets, and the People We Grow Old With
Building Age-Friendly Homes
Designing for the unique needs of elderly people can help them maintain social connections and mental acuity.
Homelessness Among Maryland Seniors Rose 77 Percent Since 2018
The high cost of housing is pushing many older adults into homelessness, while shelters are not equipped to address their specific needs.
'An Adult Day Care on Every Corner:' Aging in the Rio Grande Valley
In a region where most people “age in place,” facilities offering services and socialization give primary caregivers a much-needed break.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello