A livable community is one that has affordable and appropriate housing, supportive community features and services, and adequate mobility options, which together facilitate personal independence and the engagement of residents in civic and social life. Because there are many aspects of a livable community, the AARP Public Policy Institute developed this evaluation guide to help residents, advocates, and local leaders identify areas of success and potential opportunities for improvement in their community. (Web Site)

The AdvantAge Initiative is a community-building effort focused on creating vibrant and elder-friendly, or "AdvantAged," communities that are prepared to meet the needs and nurture the aspirations of older adults. The AdvantAge Initiative survey provides a "data snapshot" of how well seniors are currently faring in their communities. Local groups then use these survey data to help build broader awareness about aging, inform service and other planning efforts, and spur needed community-wide action in the not-for-profit, public, and private sectors. (Web Site)

Partners' "Aging in Place" agenda advocates that senior citizens should be able to maintain a desirable lifestyle by participating in their communities, remain independent as their health allows, have access to educational, cultural and recreational facilities and live in an intergenerational environment. To achieve this goal, Partners is developing a "Blueprint for Change" that will imagine what an elder-friendly community might be - what it would look like, what services does it need, how the elderly can be involved in the planning, what special educational, recreational and cultural opportunities are needed, how cross-generational contacts can be made, what programs are making the elderly safe and secure. (Web Site)