Introductory Video
LCB Principles
One City, One Book
Action Kit PDF

Current Highlights for Tulsa Across the Generations

• Read about the Principles of Legacy Community Building.

• Find out more about the One City, One Book program, sponsored by The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation and The Williams Companies. One City, One Book is a community education and participation program that's part of the Across the Generations initiative. Tulsans of all ages, families, schools, libraries, community groups are invited to read and discuss the award-winning book Dream by Susan V. Bosak. We have tips for doing an intergenerational reading and activity ideas, the Listen to a Life Essay Contest, an opportunity to write a Life Statement, the Dream Exhibit at the Tulsa Historical Society Museum, and creative ways you can share your dreams for a better future for all ages.

• Download the Action Kit developed for the October, 2011 Tulsa Across the Generations Summit.

• Jim Carroll of Aging in Place Remodeling was the winner of Lunch With The Mayor at the Tulsa Across the Generations Summit. Mr. Carroll believes strongly in the goals of the Across Generations initiative. "I'm a Certified Aging in Place Specialist. Our company's mission, and my passion, is to help people stay in their homes for as long as they wish, safely and comfortably. Quite often a home can pose difficulties. Things like entry and egress, as well as mobility around the home, can be greatly affected by physical, cognitive and/or visual problems. It's important to conduct a thorough review of a home with regard to safety and accessibility."

One of the many ideas at the Summit that captured Mr. Carroll's attention is the accessory dwelling unit (ADU). The City of Santa Cruz, CA has revised its zoning to allow this housing solution for older adults. ADUs are private and complete housing units either in or adjacent to single family homes. Older homeowners can supplement their monthly income by renting out an ADU or themselves become ADU tenants in order to remain in their neighborhoods. Adult children can put in an ADU so elder parents can be close by for family support. These intergenerational living arrangements can provide more affordable housing options, increase property values for entire neighborhoods, and enhance safety by having known tenants nearby. ADUs also increase residential density, which helps make communities more sustainable.

This is one of many exciting possibilities as part of an intergenerational Legacy Community Building model being explored with citizens and groups in Tulsa.

• Find out more about trans/multi-generational design at the Legacy Center.

• Word is getting out about the Across Generations initiative. Here's an excerpt from an editorial by Janet Pearson in Tulsa World:

The graying of Tulsa will have profound implications throughout all sectors of the community: healthcare, transportation, housing, the workforce, among others.


[Across Generations] events and activities over time will lead to the creation of the model that local and even international leaders believe will be copied throughout the nation, even around the world.



Tulsa's intergenerational mission could help lead to an entirely new breed of community. And as Boomers enter seniorhood, it's becoming rapidly evident how much our communities need to change.



As envisioned by [Legacy Project Chair] Susan Bosak, "We need homes and communities that are multigenerational. They cannot be fragmented, with youths, adults, and elders going their separate ways. Rather, they should be age-inclusive, with different generations recognizing – and acting upon – their mutual interests in building family and community."



But up until now, Americans have seen fit to "divide our communities and our activities by age – young people in schools, older people in retirement communities or facilities."



"We talk a lot about all the ways we need to help older people. But, perhaps, the old can help us. It's the experience of life in a multigenerational, interdependent, richly complex community that, more than anything else, teaches us how to be human," says Bosak.



• Receive regular updates on the Across Generations initiative in Tulsa by signing up for the Legacy Project e-newsletter. Find out more about YOU 177.

  
  

The Legacy Project at www.legacyproject.org is a national, multigenerational, big-picture project. We work with children, teens, adults, and elders to develop personal potential, build relationships, and make a difference in our communities and world.

Our partners on the Tulsa Across Generations initiative are Generations United and The Intergenerational Center at Temple University, which has its Communities for All Ages program.