DrUrbanPolicy

As I mentioned in my last post here on the DrUrbanPolicy blog , Jana Lynott and I recently kicked off the AARP Public Policy Institute blog with a list of our " 10 Principles for Creating Age-Friendly Communities ." 

Chicago Hello All - As I write this, DrUrbanPolicy.com has had over 6500 visitors to my essays and other posts, and I thank each and every one of you for stopping by. Those of you who are regulars may have noticed that I haven't been writing as many essays in recent months. You may think it's because of my busy spring travel schedule, but that's only part of the story:  Today, as I head to Chicago for the American Planning Association Conference (aka #APA13) , I have a few announcements to share that will explain why I've been so busy. (By the way, I hope that you are still stopping by regularly to check up on what I've been doing on facebook , twitter , pinterest and LinkedIn)

I haven't been posting often lately, as things have been pretty hectic.    I did receive a question the other day about  topic that I haven't spoken about here:   Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) , and  it inspired me to write a quick post .  These are sometimes known as "accessory apartments," "mother-in-law suites" or "granny flats" - they are ways to provide more housing options in existing neighborhoods by allowing homeowners to build additional units on their lots.  ADU is a catch-all term for all of these situations - either units attached to existing homes or placed somewhere else on the property, say over a garage or a stand-alone in the backyard.  AARP and HUD publications on ADUs (Links to originals within post) They are part of the range of housing options that help to ensure that people of all ages, including older adults, can meet their needs.   AARP's model ordinance  on ADUs was written by staff at the American Planning Ass