In 1993, Partners began developing its first programmatic initiative on “Aging in Place” with the sponsorship of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through its Architecture and Design Program.  Partners received a grant to develop a national competition for retrofitting communities in innovative ways to accommodate “Aging in Place.”  The first part of the grant was to develop an outreach program to the design, social service, and planning communities.  A catalog of best practices on quality of life, housing, design and transportation was also published.  Through this grant, Partners developed awareness among its membership and Board that livability could be equated with the flexibility of a community to rethink its design, planning and services to accommodate older adults who wish to age in place.