Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation
236 pages, 6 x 9
20 black-and-white illustrations, photographs, lin
Paperback
Release Date:24 Oct 2023
ISBN:9781642832976
Climate change is having an immediate and sometimes life-threatening impact, especially for older adults – generally speaking, people 65 or older. Older adults often face mobility, cognitive, and resource challenges, which contribute to a disproportionate number of deaths in the face of major disasters. But some challenges are less visible. Consider the grandparent who no longer can stand and wait at the bus stop because of the heat, or the retiree who lives in a home with black mold due to chronic flooding that she can’t afford to remediate or leave because of her limited fixed income.
Our population is aging—by 2034, the US will have more people over 65 than under 18. Despite the evidence that climate change is severely impacting older adults, and the reality that communities will be confronted with more frequent and more severe disasters, we’re not prepared to address the needs of older adults and other vulnerable populations in the face of a changing climate.
In Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation, community resilience and housing expert Danielle Arigoni argues that we cannot achieve true resilience until communities adopt interventions that work to meet the needs of their oldest residents. She explains that when we plan for those most impacted by climate, and for those with the greatest obstacles to opportunity and well-being, we improve conditions for all.
Arigoni explores how to integrate age-friendly resilience into community planning and disaster preparedness efforts through new planning approaches—including an age-friendly process, and a planning framework dedicated to inclusive disaster recovery—to create communities that serve the needs of older adults better, not only during disasters but for all the days in between. Examples are woven throughout the book, including case studies of age-friendly resilience in action from New York State; Portland, Oregon and Multnomah County; and New Orleans.
Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation will help professionals and concerned citizens understand how to best plan for both the aging of our population and the climate changes underway so that we can create safer, more livable communities for all.
Our population is aging—by 2034, the US will have more people over 65 than under 18. Despite the evidence that climate change is severely impacting older adults, and the reality that communities will be confronted with more frequent and more severe disasters, we’re not prepared to address the needs of older adults and other vulnerable populations in the face of a changing climate.
In Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation, community resilience and housing expert Danielle Arigoni argues that we cannot achieve true resilience until communities adopt interventions that work to meet the needs of their oldest residents. She explains that when we plan for those most impacted by climate, and for those with the greatest obstacles to opportunity and well-being, we improve conditions for all.
Arigoni explores how to integrate age-friendly resilience into community planning and disaster preparedness efforts through new planning approaches—including an age-friendly process, and a planning framework dedicated to inclusive disaster recovery—to create communities that serve the needs of older adults better, not only during disasters but for all the days in between. Examples are woven throughout the book, including case studies of age-friendly resilience in action from New York State; Portland, Oregon and Multnomah County; and New Orleans.
Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation will help professionals and concerned citizens understand how to best plan for both the aging of our population and the climate changes underway so that we can create safer, more livable communities for all.
Informative debut… this detailed report paints a dire portrait of a vulnerable cohort. Policymakers should take note.’
This book is a wakeup call as well as a plan for action. Climate change is already having a crushing impact on older Americans. As it intensifies and as the nation ages, the US is on a collision course. We're failing our older adults, and the time to act is NOW.
Drawing on her experience in urban planning, policy, and advocacy, Danielle argues compellingly that older Americans need to be the center of our climate adaptation. She guides the way through uplifting examples and clear strategies across housing, transportation, emergency response, and healthcare. Every community would be wise to implement the recommendations in Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation.
If we create resilient communities for older adults, they will be resilient for everyone. Unfortunately, most of our communities are not resilient, and they impact older adults more than any other segment of the population. Danielle’s fascinating book provides the why, what, how, for cities of all sizes. A call to action with a clear sense of urgency.
This book provides a roadmap for action by moving the elderly to the center of the discourse on disaster preparation and recovery. It should be required reading for all involved in disaster planning from the local to the federal level.
Danielle is a policy and program expert in the fields of livable communities, affordable housing, and climate resilience. She has worked for more than 25 years in the federal government and nonprofit sectors in pursuit of more equitable, sustainable, and resilient places. She began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya and has since led impactful and innovative teams at USAID, EPA, HUD, and AARP, currently serving as Managing Director of Policy and Solutions at National Housing Trust. She serves on the boards of Smart Growth America and the League of American Bicyclists.
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