One of the traps we fall into in our thinking is that a one size fits all solution is workable for a collective of people. Today’s communities are chock full of diversity that at best we celebrate with words, at worse we ignore, and most often just struggle to tolerate.

The diversity movement was so successful that now, in its wake, we face integration issues far more substantial than black vs white or young vs old. Columbia is one of the success stories, and as such is challenged to adapt to the new problems that arise from that success.

Age is but one small indicator of need in today’s life conditions. What are the environments, the resources, the systems, the support structures required to meet the diverse needs Columbia’s residents? I suspect, we’ll discover a range of needs for people 55 and over, and a different range of needs for 65 and over, and a completely different range of needs for residents under 45 but older than 30 and still another range of needs for people between the ages of 24 and 29.

How does a community make decisions for this kind of diversity? I don’t know. I can tell you what I know it’s not, and that is to let one group speak and act for all, unless that group can speak and act for all.

I have yet to hear about, let alone meet, such a group.

So rather than pigeon-holing 55+ communities, we can do a much better job at declaring lifestyle choices pertinent for a particular segment of residents that (in this case) a housing development is designing around, organizing, and supporting.

Cherie Beck

http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/article/Community/Protecting_Age-Restricted_Status/

The ones I’ve seen in HoCo seem to be 55 and older, which means they have to be 80% over-55 occupied. So, legally, a young family with a bunch of kids could buy a house there, if they don’t mind being shunned by the rest of the community who clearly purchased with the hope of never again having to yell at kids to keep the hell off their lawn.

My parents live in the Ryland condo down by the Town Center lakefront, which is a twin of the one being built over in Snowden overlook. One of the attractions to them was not having to deal with the stairs of their townhouse anymore. They had grab bars put in the showers, taller toilets, “senior” stuff like that. (Keep in ming that their building is not designated as being a senior community.) They love it!

I agree that the whole idea of a gated community is antithetical to the Columbia philosophy, but the idealistic foundation on which it was built has, in many ways, fallen victim to its own success. All of the things that make this such a fantastic place to live (schools, planned community, low crime, location) drive up prices and make it harder for Columbia to stay truly diverse. Those of us who have stayed pay a premium for the quality of life we enjoy. To me, there’s no question that it’s worth it. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

I feel Univeral Design should be a legal requirement with ALL new home construction.

Even for those young and those not disabled, it makes a house more of a home.

Thanks for bring it up Jesse