Welcome to the website
The Livable for a Lifetime (L4L) initiative grew out of the “2020 Plan: Aging in Community.” L4L’s purpose is to promote change in the practice, policy, design, and construction of homes and communities, as well as the community involvement necessary to achieve this change. L4L promotes the application of Universal Design in homes and communities. Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people regardless of their ability or age, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.
Goals
- Influence practice and policy (certification, tax credit points, education, etc.)
- Advance the knowledge of new technology and increase the numbers of good housing models.
- Implement relevant components of the 2020 Plan: Aging in Community to meet future demographic change and promote active community involvement.
Organization
L4L’s work is guided by a Steering Committee, which meets on a monthly basis, rotating meeting locations and facilitators between the Piedmont Housing Alliance, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) and JABA.
Current Steering Committee Members are: Karen Reifenberger, Mark Watson (Piedmont Housing Alliance); Chris Murray, Julie Ulrich, Gordon Walker (Jefferson Area Board for Aging); Bill Wanner, Billie Campbell (Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission); Bob West (Bob West and Company, LLC), Wally McKeel (JABA Board, Virginia Transportation Research Council, retired); George Shadman (Albemarle County Department of General Services and ADA Compliance); Jim Herndon (City of Charlottesville); Mandy Burbage (Charlottesville Community Design Center); Howard Olshansky (Arc of the Piedmont); Elizabeth Swider (Chamber’s Aging in Place Business Round Table/Care is There); John Rudder (UVA Institute on Aging); and Todd Hawkins, BuilderFish.
Committees have been established to focus on specific areas.
The Design and Construction Work Group will create innovative, affordable, and practical methods to incorporate universal design features without sacrificing the integrity of the design. The work group will then create a greater awareness of the need for universal design practices among architects, landscape architects, planners, builders, developers, realtors, homeowners, building inspectors, and other practitioners. The key purpose of this work group is to make universal design a routine practice among the planning, design and construction community. more
The Policy Work Group will research and monitor developments in universal design, visitability, and accessibility. It will advise the Steering Committee and other work groups of recent policy initiatives in government and industry - local, state, or national - and how they impact the Livable for a Lifetime initiative. more
The Community Involvement Work Group will promote a greater awareness of the need for universal design practices among community members. A greater awareness and education is the first step; the next step is making universal design a regular practice throughout the community to enable individuals of all ages to plan their housing, transportation and community needs with an understanding of accessibility and visitability, attending to both interior and exterior design concepts. more