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.
FULL STORY: Porches, Pets, and the People We Grow Old With

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

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Tesla Announced Human-Assisted Robotaxi Launch in San Francisco — But State Regulators Say Otherwise
The electric carmaker appears to be both-sides-ing its impending launch, telling regulators it will have human drivers on board while touting the project as ‘robotaxis’ to investors.

Indianapolis Encourages Tactical Urbanism With Lending Library, Grant Program
Residents can apply to receive assistance with traffic calming projects that can provide valuable data and lead to permanent changes.

Jacksonville Completes Park Street Road Diet
The half-mile corridor now features new bike lanes and sidewalks, as well as roundabouts and new landscaping.
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Yukon Government
Caltrans
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Norman, Oklahoma
City of Portland
City of Laramie