How can communities of all sizes support active travel across the age and ability spectrums, both on typical days and during emergencies? As climate change intensifies natural hazards across the west, how can we prepare to get everyone out alive when disaster strikes? Come envision a communal approach to active and resilient transportation. This workshop offers a practical introduction to the unique transportation needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers. Our case study: an intentional neighborhood in the urban/wildland interface that combines supportive cohousing with a nonprofit farm serving the regional community. With guidance from facilitators, participants will work in groups to strengthen neighborhood active transportation links, brainstorm travel programs that increase freedom, and plan for emergency evacuation that meets the needs of disabled and medically fragile residents.
We will begin with an overview of how age, ability, and caregiving responsibilities affect travel needs and choices, and spotlight how our current systems fail to save our most vulnerable residents during disasters. Our facilitators will introduce the case study site, its community members, and the connections, barriers, and hazards present in the surrounding area. For much of the session, participants will collaborate to improve daily travel options, identify emergency routes, and create accessible evacuation plans. During the debrief, we’ll compare the group’s suggestions to what’s been planned by the case study site and its broader community. We’ll close with a discussion of how the ideas we’ve generated together can help us grow our home communities into inclusive and resilient places.
Carol’s work focuses on mobility and wellness for older adults, including the need to revise long-standing perceptions of older adults. She developed a typology of older adults' physical activity, which she sees as part of a three-legged stool that includes Person-Environment Fit... Read More →
A senior transportation planner with prior work in applied behavior change, Talia has dedicated the past twenty years to making it convenient, safe, and affordable for people to meet their daily needs without having to drive alone. Her work focuses on strengthening travel options... Read More →
Land Use and Transportation Planner, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
Kathy Kleczek has a deep love for her home in the Pacific Northwest, having traveled and experienced many places around the globe before settling there. Growing up bilingual in Germany, experiencing a culture that embraces active transportation modes as an adolescent influenced her... Read More →
Wednesday April 23, 2025 2:30pm - 4:15pm PDT DoubleTree Hotel - Expo Hall1000 NE Multnomah St, Portland, OR 97232, USA
