I was looking forward to returning to Bayside, and once the day arrived, I couldn’t be more excited. Upon arriving, we were greeted by some familiar and friendly faces that we met before, and we all immediately jumped into to talking with some of the members. It wasn’t too much longer, till we were called over by the talented and energetic Zumba instructor, who led us in various dancing moves that went along with the diverse music selection. It was great to see that individuals of all ages could come together and participate in an activity together that was both fun and good for each others health. After 45 minutes of Zumba, and a little out of breath, we all began preparing to break out into learning exchange groups. Like what we did at Casa De Manana, we provided markers, and large pieces of paper for the members of the Bayside Community Center to write and draw their thoughts regarding what constitutes an intergenerational community. After grabbing some food from the potluck, we were able to sit down with some elders who call Linda Vista home. In our discussions, and to my surprise, many of the elders shared that Linda Vista to them seems to represent a well designed intergenerational community. Being that it was accessible, had parks, libraries, transportation, and access to health care. However, one thing that was shared that could be improved upon, was adding more parks and safe shared spaces for elders and younger people to come together. Another thing was increasing the amount of affordable housing, as many of these elders who bought their homes years ago, feel that today's housing prices would have been out of reach for them. They shared that homeownership is important to feeling a part of a community, and thus ways to achieve it are important. Lastly, increasing civic responsibility and wanting to help others in your community, whether it's through volunteering or helping with carrying groceries, the sense of community and shared responsibility needs to be brought back. It was a great opportunity to be able to hear what members of the Bayside Community Center feel about what constitutes an intergenerational community and my hope is that in future urban planning these ideas are heard and included.
|
Kyle UnderwoodArchives
June 2018
Categories |