People: Resources

A Deeper Dive…

Neighbors:  The Power of the People Next Door.  Brenda Krause Eheart.

For too long we have ignored the value, importance and power of the people next door—especially of those who are vulnerable and those who are older—to help make this world a better place, not only for those facing difficult challenges, but for all of us….We have forgotten what gives our life its deepest significance and meaning are not professional services, but the caring relationships  we make with family, friends, and neighbors.  P 210.

Housing for People with Disabilities. A Joint Position Statement of AAID and The Arc of the US.

“People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)*, like all Americans, have a right to live in their own homes, in the community.”

Community Living and Participation for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities:  What the Research Tells Us.  AID & AUCD.

“It is clear from decades of studies that people with IDD have happier, healthier, and more independent lives when they live in smaller community-based residences than in larger institutional settings.”

On Neighborhoods, Diversity and Kids.

Aging Well: Solutions to the Most Pressing Global Challenges of Aging. Chapter 10:  Purpose and Social Inclusion.

“In advancing age, people seek meaning and purpose They often wish to leave a legacy to the generations that follow their own. Intergenerational connections can fill this need and foster community connection and inclusion.”

Help From and Help to Neighbors Among Older Adults in Europe.
“Having ties to neighbors facilitates access to informal aid and reduces the sense of isolation, which can mitigate the problems of maintaining everyday life at a time of advancing age and declining health.”

We Don’t Know our Neighbors — But We Should.  Ann Carrick.

“’If it takes a village to raise a child, the prognosis for American children isn’t good, and most Americans don’t have the resources to replace collective provision with private provision.’

People who live in diverse neighbourhoods are more helpful – here’s how we know.  THE CONVERSATION.

“My colleagues and I thought that living in diverse neighborhoods might create opportunities to come into contact with different people again and again, thereby expanding a person’s sense of identity…”

Hope Meadows: Real Life Stories of Healing and Caring from an Inspiring Community, Wes Smith.

Purpose: Resources

A Deeper Dive…

Neighbors: The Power of the People Next Door. Section IV. Brenda Krause Eheart.

Built on broader and more inclusive human resources and capacities, our traditional safety net of services can be reconfigured to incorporate a fifth sector, the skilled and sensitive workforce within our social institutions of family, neighborhoods, and communities.

Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.  Vivek H Murthy, MD (19^th surgeon general of the US) 2020.

“Strong relationships are what matters most….Human connection is the foundation on which we build everything else.”

The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How WE can do it Again, 2020, Robert Putnam with Shaylyn Romney Garrett.

“Reform should start at state and neighborhood levels.”

Vibrant Neighborhoods, Successful Schools.  Dacia Chrzanowski, Susan Rans and Raymond Thompson.  (a Case Study on the Role of Connectors)

Relational Being: Beyond Self and Community.  Kenneth Gergen.

“When relational well-being is the center of our concern we approach a life-giving future.”

“[through community connection] as people come to share experiences and values, and to reflect on their differences, the boundaries of separation are blurred.”

Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life. Eric Klinenberg.
“It’s long been understood that social cohesion develops through repeated human interaction and joint participation in shared projects, not merely from a principled commitment to abstract values and beliefs.”

How to be a Caregiver. Tara Parker Pope. The New York Times.

“Rosalynn Carter…famously stated that there are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will become caregivers and those who will need caregivers.”

Place: Resources

A Deeper Dive…

Why Buildings for Autistic People are Better for Everyone

“Architecture can address the needs of occupants with ASD. That is because buildings accommodate the needs of their occupants through spatial configuration, acoustics, lighting, temperature, air quality, furnishings and finishes. A common hypothesis in the literature is that modulating these features of the physical environment can help all occupants relax and focus.”

Biophilic Design Can Benefit People With Special Needs

“Biophilic design is understanding that there is a human desire to connect with nature. There are cognitive, psychological and physical benefits to connecting to nature.”

Autism Friendly Design

“The 2011-2021 AHP Housing survey indicated there were a number of modifications that were deemed helpful or necessary by a significant number of respondents, including over 50% who would benefit from sound-proof bedrooms, durable construction, and a fenced in yard, and over 20% who would benefit from unbreakable glass, and floor drains in bathrooms. Design that anticipates these needs will result in residents preserving tenancy, fewer stress-induced meltdowns, lower repair bills, and less need for costly support staff to facilitate interaction with the environment.”

Building Healthy Places Toolkit

The Building Healthy Places Toolkit outlines opportunities to enhance health through changes in approaches to buildings and projects. Developers, owners, property managers, designers, investors, and others involved in real estate decision making can use these strategies and tactics to create places that contribute to healthier people and communities and to enhance and preserve value.

Pocket Neighborhoods: Building Blocks for Resilient Communities

“Pocket neighborhoods are small groups of houses or apartments gathered around a shared open space. They might take the form of a garden courtyard, a pedestrian street, a series of joined backyards, or a reclaimed alley. These clusters form at a sub-block scale in a semi-private zone of ownership. Think of them as a neighborhood within a neighborhood.”

Green Building for All: Green Building is Key to Affordable Housing

“Families residing in green developments saved an average of $96 per year, and seniors saved more than $122 per year more on energy costs when compared to non-green developments.”

Beyond 50.05 A Report to the Nation on Livable Communities: Creating Environments for Successful Aging. AARP

“This report explores the connections between a livable community and community engagement among its residents and shows how both affect the “successful aging” of its residents.”

Transformative placemaking: A framework to create connected, vibrant, and inclusive communities. Brookings Institution.

“Transformative placemaking supports planning processes, programming, and investments that value inclusion and equity at their core.”

Opening Doors: A Discussion of Residential Options For Adults Living With Autism And Related Disorders

“How do we as a society respond to the pressing question … that’s looming today for millions of parents of children with autism: Who will care for my child when I’m no longer able to do so?”

Advancing Full Spectrum Housing: Designing for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“This report introduces housing providers, architects, developers, planners, public officials, and others involved in the residential development industry to conditions and aspirations of adults with ASDs that demand a new approach to how we provide, design, and develop homes in which they live.”