America Is Aging. Our Communities Are Not Ready

Thanks to significant advancements in healthcare, medicine, and living conditions, the average lifespan of Americans has greatly risen. Today, an individual born in the United States is expected to live fifteen to twenty years longer than someone born in the 1960s, when many American suburbs were first designed and built. Furthermore, it is expected that by 2050, the number of Americans living to 100 years old will quadruple.

Certainly, this increased lifespan is good news. Nonetheless, it compels us, as a society, to face the fact that our housing inventory largely consists of a post-war model of expansive, single-family homes, presenting major challenges for the long-term sustainability of our communities and the welfare of our aging population.

Unsustainable Suburban Sprawl

In the 1950s and 60s, following the Second World War, we made significant investments in the expansion of new suburban neighborhoods, drawing inspiration from the successful model of Levittown in New York. These developments aimed to provide returning war veterans with an affordable home to establish their families, facilitated by government-backed loans under the 'GI Bill.' While these projects offered Americans new housing opportunities, they also contributed to the spread of suburban sprawl. At that time, the average life expectancy for an American born in that era was around 60 years, with individuals not expected to reach 60 as adults. The housing options of that period primarily consisted of small, single-family homes tailored for young families, failing to address the housing needs of an aging population that may live far beyond the necessity for larger homes compared to previous generations.

A Need For More Housing Options

During the 1970s and 80s, particularly in Northeast communities, a wave of "downzoning" swept many of these suburbs that had been expanding for decades. With little in the way of housing variety produced, anyone who wanted to live in, raise a family, and remain in that community was left with largely only one housing option, a single-family home. This paradigm has left us with a glut of "empty bedrooms" in communities across the Northeast and many parts of the country. Homes occupied by empty nesters who may not necessarily want to stay in these costly to maintain homes but want to, not necessarily "age in place" but "age in community," with staying put being their only viable option.

Auto-Oriented Developments Lead To Isolation

Our extensive and uniform development patterns not only limit our capacity to create a range of housing options required for diverse community needs, but also confine residents to relying primarily on personal automobiles for transportation. A recent AARP report highlighted the fact that current Americans may outlive their ability to drive by almost a decade, and possibly longer, as many older adults become less comfortable with driving as they age, ultimately surrendering their licenses.

Loneliness acts as a fertilizer for other diseases. The biology of loneliness can accelerate the buildup of plaque in arteries, help cancer cells grow and spread, and promote inflammation in the brain leading to Alzheimer’s disease. Loneliness promotes several different types of wear and tear on the body. - Dr. Steve Cole, NIH Research

It is crucial to guarantee that our elderly population can age with dignity, respect, and autonomy; however, our expansive development models obstruct this potential, forcing them to give up their independence along with their driving privileges.

When New Assisted Living Encounters NIMBYism

Marblehead, Massachusetts is a community north of Boston that has seen it's population decrease from its peak in the 1980s by nearly 1,000 residents. At the same time, the median age of the town has increased by a decade to nearly 50-years old. When a proposed 108 bed assisted living facility was proposed in the town a few years ago, the project went through 9-years of community process and litigation which included, 19 hearings, 14 judges, 4 different courts, 3 board decisions. One Marblehead resident in a public meeting even stated "by the time Marblehead seniors get into a situation where they can't stay in their own homes, they won't be running around town shopping. They'll likely be infirm so it's not going to matter much whether they're in Swampscott, Marblehead or Peabody."

Where Do We Go From Here

The good news is that we have choices and a clear direction, but it necessitates a readiness to think innovatively beyond the conventional development models that have been predominant for a significant part of the previous century. It is essential to simplify the process of permitting 'missing middle' housing designs in every neighborhood. A variety of housing types such as apartment buildings, townhomes, ADUs, triplexes, quadplexes, and cottage courts should be permitted 'by-right' in numerous areas where they are currently prohibited. We should promote infill development in more pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods by enabling older individuals to reside near their loved ones, friends, and various amenities like cafes, restaurants, parks, and shops. By embracing a broad range of housing options in all neighborhoods, we not only better support the long-term financial stability of local governments for but also offer seniors the quality of life they deserve by providing housing options that better match their individual needs.

Jonathan Berk is an urbanist and advocate who’s focused his career on building and advocating for walkable communities with vibrant public spaces, abundant housing choices and robust local small business communities. As the Founder of re:MAIN, he's working to accelerate the growth and expansion of walkable neighborhoods, with abundant housing options, through innovative, action-oriented programs. Jonathan@remainplaces.com