Design

For residents of Chicago’s northern suburbs, the Chicago Botanic Garden is much more than just a collection of colorful plants and flowers. Since it opened more than 40 years ago, the 385 acre grounds have served as an important center for community activity and education. The Garden is home to 26 separate gardens and four natural areas, as well as a conservation science education center and a library with one of the country’s largest collections of botanical books. The grounds are also host to numerous community events and educational courses throughout the year.

The Arlington Energy Masters program is a joint venture between three Washington, DC area nonprofit groups - Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE), Arlington Thrive, and the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) – which aims to increase energy efficiency in Arlington’s low-income residences. Volunteers from the DC suburb are put through a 20 hour training course on what impacts a home’s water and energy usage and strategies to make homes more efficient. Once the training is completed, volunteers spend at least 60 hours in the community applying their knowledge to help lower energy and water usage in low-income apartments from throughout the county.

Investors in America Award

The Investors in America Award acknowledges groups and individuals who use enterprise, vision, and creative public/private partnerships to bring new civic assets to our nation’s cities.

David M. Schwarz is being honored for constructing some of our country’s most recognizable architectural endeavors with his company, David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc. Schwarz’s projects are always aesthetically-pleasing, suited to the clients’ needs, and above all, sustainable.

David M. Schwarz earned his Master of Architecture from Yale University and his B.A. from St. John’s College. Following work with various firms, he founded David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc. in Washington, D.C. in 1976. His portfolio consists of notable projects from across the U.S. that have been seen as major infrastructure investments in health, education, culture, and sports. His firm has been responsible for some of the country’s most prized architectural accomplishments, including the Ballpark at Arlington, the Cook Children’s Medical Center of Fort Worth, and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center of Nashville.

Schwarz has served on the boards of many prominent organizations and is a founder of the National Building Museum’s Vincent Scully Prize. As one of the country’s leading figures in architecture, he understands the importance of culture and environmental stewardship, and works to include elements of heritage and sustainability in all of his projects. Schwarz is a distinguished architect who understands the value of place-making and has designed projects investing in infrastructure of value to the American community.

Walkability is synonymous with less traffic, a higher quality of life, and more vibrant streetscapes. A new Brookings Institution study—Walk this Way: The Economic Promise of Walkable Places in Metropolitan Washington, D.C., by Christopher B. Lienberger and Mariela Alfonzo—highlights the economics behind walkabaility, and why walkable areas are worth more than previously thought.

Here is a section of sidewalk in Boston made from brick pavers. It’s clear that the lack of uniform sizes and heights could pose challenges for the disabled or elderly pedestrian. Photo credit Seldom Scene Photography.

Designers, planners, and members of the public have recently come into conflict over Boston’s historic use of molded brick in sidewalks and public spaces.  Some think the use of bricks represents the face of Boston, while others condemn them as obstacles to the disabled and elderly. The different viewpoints amount to an ownership debate on the city’s public space.

The City’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities maintains that traditional, molded bricks are unable to provide the smooth surfaces (meaning no height variations greater than a quarter of an inch) that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires. However, other professionals (landscape architects, historical preservationists, and the brick industry) affirm that the material itself is not to blame, but rather improper installation and maintenance. 

The D.C. Office of Planning (OP) has awarded a $75,000 “ArtPlace Arts and Culture Temporium” grant to Partners for Livable Communities (Partners) to develop and manage temporiums in underutilized spaces in the Deanwood neighborhood, one of the District’s earliest African American communities.

Under this grant, Partners will develop and manage DeanwoodxDesign, a project that showcases the rich arts, cultural, historical, and green space assets of Deanwood and Ward 7 through a community-wide, intergenerational, and collaborative effort. This project engages artists and a diverse network of Deanwood institutions and stakeholders to cultivate community pride, showcase and create great art, and invigorate the creative economy.

Eight organizations and partnerships in the St. Louis Region were each awarded a "JumpStart the Conversation" grant in July 2009. Click here to view the jumpstart grants below. 

The winning projects exemplify the use of innovative ideas focused on creating livable communities for all ages and the theme of Universal Design and Accessibility. As part of the Aging in Place Initiative, the St. Louis Metro Region was selected by MetLife Foundation, Partners for Livable Communities and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging to host one of a series of dynamic national workshops highlighting the opportunity to improve livability for persons of all ages. 

Held on April 28, 2009, Designing Places and Spaces for Now and in the Future: Creating a Livable St. Louis Region for All Ages gathered key innovators and representatives from across the Region to help identify strategies to improve homes that are universally designed and communities that are welcoming for all. Attendees learned how to JumpStart the Conversation on aging and apply for a special grant given to unique partnerships taking action on Aging in Place. The grants are intended to stimulate innovative action at the local level. As a result of the workshops and grant opportunities, communities will have a renewed sense of urgency on approaching community livability for all as well as an energized group of organizations and individuals collaborating to face the challenges that accompany this time of change.

As part of the national movement to promote the “Aging in Place” Initiative, which is aimed at helping older Americans remain in their communities, the St. Louis metropolitan region was selected to host one in a series of national workshops sponsored by MetLife Foundation, Partners for Livable Communities (Partners), and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). The workshop was co-hosted by the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging, Area Agency on Aging of Southwestern Illinois, and Mid-East Area Agency on Aging.

The local discussion complemented the dynamic national conversation taking place on aging and will highlight the creative work already occurring in the region to make it a first-rate place for all age groups. This workshop was a unique opportunity for local leaders to begin looking at the region and to hear how other communities have begun to create livable communities. 

Missouri is consistently ranked as one of the states in the country with the oldest population—it’s expected that 15 percent of all Missouri residents will be aged 65 and older by 2015. The number of persons 60 and older in Illinois is projected to increase by 77% from 2 million in 2006 to 3.6 million in 2030.  One in every five Illinoisans will be 60 years of age and older by 2030.In preparation for this, local leaders are calling for strategies to help strengthen “Aging in Place” services.

Workshop speakers and panelists focused on strategies for buildings that are universally designed and communities that are welcoming for all. Following the discussion, participants are invited to learn about a new Community Assessment Tool devised to measure the readiness of places and spaces. The conversation continued by through the following Jumpstart the Conversation Grants. 

St. Louis Jumpstart Grants

• Bi-Lingual International Assistant Services in partnership with Delta Medical and JAD Housing LLC
  To retrofit an apartment with grab bars and handrails to serve as a model for an awareness campaign aimed at encouraging landlords to make these same small changes to all their apartment units so they are accessible for those who are aging in place.  
• Mid-East Area Agency on Aging Foundation with the City of O’Fallon
  To conduct a comprehensive livable community assessment of the City of O’Fallon which will encourage awareness of the resources available, identify new resources that can meet the needs of older adults, and encourage community leadership to act on these issues. Local highs schools, community colleges, and universities will be involved in conducting the assessments and writing the final report thus becoming involved with the community needs and issues and interacting positively with older adults in the process.  
• Main Street Community Center with Faith in Action Edwardsville
  To create a resource guide for Edwardsville's older adults, their families and their caregivers, and to ensure its widespread distribution.
• Concern Citizen Group of Illinois with Lutheran Child and Family Services (for Fathers) of Illinois
  To strategize on intergenerational programs that suit community needs for the new Recreation Center currently being built. Strategizing sessions will include community forums and neighborhood meetings.
• Bond County Senior Citizens Center, Inc.
  To perform a community assessment that will 1) assess currently available assets available to serve the existing and future older adult populations; 2) determine the additional assets needed to meet their needs; 3) develop a plan to address unmet needs; 4) communicate findings and plans to leaders and decision makers; 5) launch a relevant and exciting initial project; and 6) serve in an advisory capacity to assist in the implementation and monitoring of future activity.   
• University of Missouri Extension Gerontology Program in partnership with South Grand Senior Ministries
  To provide an opportunity for a Gerontology social work practicum student to perform focused interview sessions with neighborhood residents, cost analyses, and execution of a project that will improve safety and accessibility features and help ensure successful aging-in-place for older residents. Principles from the Gerontology course, “Successful Aging in the Built Environment” will be explored and implemented.
• The Area Agency on Aging of Southwestern Illinois with the American Institute of Architects (St. Louis)
  To plan and execute a design charette for the community of New Baden, IL with the goal of producing a series of feasible strategies to address accessibility concerns identified by the community.
• The Starkloff Disability Institute
  To produce a white paper on universal design that 1) outlines key challenges of universal housing that must be addressed for it to proliferate; and 2) outlines a national campaign to promote universal housing features to industry leaders and consumers.

As part of the Aging in Place Initiative, the San Antonio Region was selected by MetLife Foundation, Partners for Livable Communities and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) to host one of a series of dynamic national workshops highlighting the opportunity to improve livability for persons of all ages. The Jumpstart the Conversation Grantees followed the workshop held on June 11, 2009; titled Redesigning Communities for Aging in Place: Developing a Livable San Antonio Metro Region for All Ages.

Redesigning Communities for Aging in Place gathered key innovators and representatives from across the region to discuss a topic of great importance to San Antonio. Workshop speakers and panelists focused on assets already in place and how they can be improved, particularly health and wellness, social integration, planning and mobility. Attendees learned how to JumpStart the Conversation on aging and apply for a special grant given to unique partnerships taking action on Aging in Place.

The local discussion at the workshop, and continued in the grants, complemented the dynamic national conversation taking place on aging and will highlight the creative work already occurring in the region to make it a first-rate place for all age groups. This workshop is a unique opportunity for local leaders to begin looking at the region and to hear how other communities have begun to create livable communities. The Alamo Area Council of Governments’ region is home to over 345,000 residents who are aged 60 and over. In 2020, this number is projected to increase to almost 500,000 residents.  The demographics of this group are also becoming increasingly diverse.

In preparation for this, local leaders are calling for strategies to help strengthen “Aging in Place” services. Workshop speakers and panelists focused on assets already in place and how they can be improved, particularly health and wellness, social integration, planning and mobility. "San Antonio has always been a caring community, and as our Baby Boomer population increases, that will become even more important," said Mayor Phil Hardberger. "We must continue to cultivate a senior-friendly environment - with improvements in infrastructure, for example - so our seniors can continue living full lives. They have much to contribute, and we have much to learn from them." 

The grants are intended to stimulate innovative action at the local level. As a result of the workshops and grant opportunities, communities in San Antonio will have a renewed sense of urgency on approaching community livability for all as well as an energized group of organizations and individuals collaborating to face the challenges that accompany this time of change.

 San Antonio Jumpstart Grants

• The Alamo Area Council of Governments in partnership with the Alamo and Bexar Area Agencies on Aging
  To bring Asset-Based Community Development training to stakeholders on the Aging issue in the San Antonio region. The training will enable the organizations and partner agencies to conduct targeted planning activities in local communities in the regions to assist in identifying the already existing assets that can be utilized to enhance the Aging in Place planning process for the area. 
• Education lnvestment Foundation (EIF), the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) and MedTeam, Inc. 
  To develop a positive media outreach program to assist elderly and disabled citizens with information on housing opportunities, and needed services in San Antonio, Texas.
• Greater Randolph Area Services Program, Inc. (GRASP) in partnership with the City of Live Oak 
  To begin a program to help seniors who are unable to handle the normal maintenance and care of their homes, for either physical or financial reasons. This program will help seniors with small home maintenance, lawn care, and landscaping issues. The program will be called “Our Community Cares in Live Oak” and will recruit volunteers with experience in home repair and maintenance to carry out the jobs. 
• Jefferson Outreach
  To provide a special type of transportation service to seniors in their community that will even further improve their quality of life by recruiting young volunteers to provide transportation for “extra services” such as salons, banks, malls and other places which will enhance their lives and allow them to remain part of their community.
• Northeast Senior Assistance
  To create a return visit program by nurses to re-evaluate clients whose health or living condition may have changed over time. The return visit will be scheduled for clients during their five year anniversary and every five years thereafter. This additional initiative will help identify potential issues before they become problems impacting clients’ ability to remain in their own homes.
• San Antonio Time Dollar Community Connections
  To start a CareBank service for mainly Spanish speaking seniors on the Westside of San Antonio that will provide an affordable transportation system and a social network of people who can rely on each other. Members who join the Care Bank will have the opportunity to socialize with other seniors and members and utilize flexible, affordable, accessible transportation and replace social isolation with a social network providing a sense of community and extended family.

Two Los Angeles designers want you to bomb the forgotten spaces of your city. The duo repurposes gumball machines into street-side “seed bomb” dispensers, now popping up in cities across the country. The “bombs” are a mixture of clay, compost and seeds that users throw anonymously into parking medians or sidewalk cracks, temporarily infusing a bit of green into an otherwise gray urban site. Read more about the “GreenAid” seed bomb project here.

Partners’ recent forum with the Hirshhorn Museum, “Building Livable Communities: Creating a Common Agenda,” served as a positive platform to re-announce a new and exciting agenda for architecture, design, and social experimentation: The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s Bubble Expansion and book store renovation. Attended by Congressional representatives, federal agencies, think tanks, cultural institutions, and community development leaders alike, Director of the Hirshhorn Museum Richard Koshalek discussed the museum’s upcoming plans.

The "Bubble,” as it is called for the short-term, is a joint venture of Koshalek and Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, a renowned New York-based design firm, to re-invent the Museum as an intentional classroom and illustrate intersections of public and private space. Additionally, the museum book store will undergo a transition from a common commercial entity to becoming integrated as a part of museum exhibition space, through a renovation and move to the basement of the building.

Perhaps this new agenda comes from the idea that we need to adapt spaces to peoples’ readily changing needs. Perhaps this comes from Richard Koshalek’s desire to make the Hirshhorn a world class modern art museum with a daring new exposition. Perhaps this comes from the need to blur public and private space by incorporating The "Bubble” as an almost space-less entity into a negative, or void, of the concrete mass building; and the book store as an experiment in museum exhibit space. Or perhaps this agenda just comes from a need to make the stolid flimsy, the serious fun, and the patron part of the exhibit. 

The American Society of Landscape Architect’s weekly blog, “The Dirt: Connecting the Built and Natural Environments,” posts detailed highlights from “Building Livable Communities: Creating a Common Agenda,” Partner’s recent Forum in collaboration with the Hirshhorn Museum.  Recapping the panel of Federal officials including HUD, DOT, and their overlapping agendas to create an “infrastructure for livability” through “interdependencies,” the blog also includes highlights from the speakers representing local government, non for profit agencies, and corporate entities. The Dirt showcases some of the newest ideas and agendas surrounding the national livability framework presented at the forum. Read about it here

Fairfax County, VA

Active steps taken by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to prepare for a rapidly increasing older population.

North Adams, MA

A cultural institution has brought stupendous growth to the surrounding community.

St. Paul, MN

A development bank and vehicle to fund the revitalization of the Lowertown area in downtown St. Paul.

El Paso, TX

A central entertainment hub and source of pride for the El Paso community.

Founders Award for Civic Leadership

A life-long commitment to improving livability through design.

Investors in America Award

A husband and wife team that has worked to advance social and economic advancement through affordable housing.

Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award

A powerful couple who have worked to transform downtown D.C. into the lively urban center it is today.

Bridge Builders Award

A unique program that promotes a better understanding of Islamic culture through the study of art, architecture and cultural heritage.

A city that was completely transformed by the strong will of civic leaders and innovative urban planning strategies.