seniors

Elderly woman in pink shirt sitting at table on porch across from elderly man in white shirt. A pot of pink flowers sits on the table.

How Zoning Reform can Help Seniors ‘Age in Place’

Without more middle housing options, the United States will be short on ‘aging-ready’ homes.

November 8, 2023 - Stateline

Colorful tents built to shelter unhoused people on beach at Venice Beach, California with apartment buildings and palm trees in background against a purple sunset sky

Seniors Over 50 Make up Almost Half of California’s Unhoused Population

A new study finds that low-income seniors are increasingly unable to find affordable housing.

June 20, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Elderly woman enters house with help from caregiver who is holding her hands

The Challenges of Aging in Place

Seniors in one Bay Area community want to stay in their communities, but many find the cost of living and maintaining older homes prohibitive.

June 5, 2023 - Palo Alto Online

Old single-story home with porch in run-down condition

The Ugly Truth Behind “We Buy Ugly Houses”

HomeVestors of America, the self-proclaimed “largest homebuyer in the U.S.,” trains its nearly 1,150 franchisees to zero in on homeowners’ desperation.

May 23, 2023 - Shelterforce Magazine

Senior Mobility

Opinion: Housing Reforms Critical for Older Americans

Older adults are some of the most vulnerable to threats of eviction and displacement driven by escalating housing costs.

March 3, 2022 - The Darien Times

Senior Mobility

Older Americans Should Rent, Study Says

To rent or to buy? A study from AARP and the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University weights the cost and benefits of each scenario for Americans 65 and older.

November 5, 2020 - yahoo! Finance

Suburban Home

Study Finds Seniors Could Be Stuck with Unsellable Homes in the Future

A new paper predicts that home-buying trends among younger generations will lead to a flood of homes that older homeowners will not be able to sell.

August 25, 2020 - UANow

Staten Island Ferry

New York and Illinois Follow in California's Footsteps by Declaring Shutdowns

Governors of three of the nation's largest states, containing the three largest cities, have issued emergency orders to slow the spread of COVID-19.

March 22, 2020 - The Washington Post

Elderly Walking

Changing Perceptions of Aging in Planning

In planning, stereotypes of older adults still dominate, and it’s time for that message to change.

March 22, 2020 - Insights (Toole Design)

Hoboken vanity plates

Hoboken First U.S. City to Shut Down Restaurants and Bars and Issue Curfew

Restaurants and bars shut down on Sunday due to the coronavirus. On Monday, a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew becomes effective. According to a Harvard University public health expert, "Hoboken probably is the model we all need to move towards now."

March 16, 2020 - Insider

Elderly Walking

A New Vision for Senior Housing

The interest in less traditional housing arrangements for older people, such as shared housing and cohousing, is increasing.

October 14, 2019 - The New York Times

Butte County, California

An Unexpected Turn for California's New State Population Report

Population data released May 1 by the Department of Finance reveals the Golden State's lowest population growth rate on record, at 0.47 percent.

May 6, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Seattle Downtown

Post-Recession Migration Patterns of Younger and Older Americans

New census data shows that millennials and seniors are migrating less, a result of the Great Recession and its economic impacts. For those who are moving, cities in the Sun Belt have been primary destinations.

February 15, 2019 - Brookings

Senior Mobility

More Seniors Living in Suburban and Rural Areas; Aging-in-Place Solutions Needed

Less dense communities provide specific challenges in providing services to residents in need of extra care. More seniors living in suburban and rural communities will require new and scalable solutions.

November 21, 2018 - Route Fifty

Dealer

Do Seniors Need Cars?

One common argument against road diets and other pro-walkability policies is that seniors need cars more than anyone else. Is this claim borne out by data?

September 9, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

Paratransit

'Mobility for All' Responds to Growing Need for Quality Paratransit Service

Accessible technology and a centralized database and call center will help deliver a one-call, one-click transportation information system for seniors and people with special needs in the Portland region.

August 29, 2018 - Bike Portland

Home For Sale Signs

California Realtors Hope Ballot Initiative Will Put More Homes on Market

A ballot measure to enable older homeowners in California, particularly empty nesters, to downsize without losing their tax benefits granted to them by the 1978 Proposition 13, has qualified for the November ballot.

June 22, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Old houses with large porch and colorful siding

Start Up Will Buy Your House and Let You Live There for the Rest of Your Life

A new service targeted at seniors buys homes, but lets the previous owner stay.

June 3, 2018 - Slate

Ski Resort

Colorado Resort Towns Attracting the Highest Rate of New Seniors

Colorado is looking like the new Florida.

February 15, 2018 - The Denver Post

Aging in Place

Northeast Ohio Getting Older, Facing New Challenges

Projections show the under 20 population shrinking in Cleveland while the over 65 population grows.

February 13, 2018 - Cleveland Plain Dealer

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.