Navigating the Human PathUniversity of California Berkeley

K i s m e t V i l l a g e

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Background Page 1

The Inteview Process Page 4

Results and Analysis Page 5

Proposal Page 12

Ackowledgements Page 16

Navigating the Human Path

Navigating the Human Path, an experimental course at UC Berkeley, challenged participants

to find ways of promoting affordable, healthy, and meaningful aging in our society. Students

worked in intergenerational teams consisting of undergraduates and senior volunteers. Our

team, consisting of five students and three seniors, chose to focus on the aspect of community,

and how that impacts the experience of aging.

Our original focus was on improving the living experience for seniors aging in place, but we

realized that the needs of older adults and younger families complement one another. We chose

to explore how an existing multigenerational neighborhood — brought together by fate (kismet)

— can foster connectedness for the mutual benefit and support of all residents, whatever their

stage of life.

The Calmar Avenue neighborhood of Oakland, California was our case study. Conveniently

located close to public transportation, with a lively shopping district and a good elementary

school, the neighborhood also has a history of coming together for social events and emergency

planning.

Page 1

The Village Model

In the last century, the concept of senior

housing has become synonymous to campus-

style housing, complemented by amenities

such as tailored programs and care services.

As the lifespan of humans increase, seniors

find themselves staying active for a longer

period of time. Consequently, the options of

remaining in one’s home and/or moving to

an integrated community to accommodate

the process of aging have both become more

appealing and, sometimes, economically

ineluctable. Furthermore, the rising out-of-

pocket healthcare costs, high levels of debt, and

longer life expectancies have all contributed to

the inability to effectively afford senior housing

with specialized amenities and integrated

communities. In fact, eighty percent of adults

over age sixty-five are now now living at home

and this trend is only expected to continue as

the baby boomers retire (Orlov).

This context has given rise to Naturally

Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs)

nationwide, including the local San Francisco

Village and Ashby Village, which serves

residents in Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, and

Alameda. These communal villages support

independent aging by offering resources and

assistance with daily activities including but

not limited to gardening, shopping, household

chores, shared transportation, and assistance

with medical appointments. The success of

these villages can be credited to a collection of

dedicated volunteers at the village members’

disposal. Nonetheless, these villages have

set age restrictions and require annual

membership fees to support their centralized

administrations, limiting their diversity and

accessibility. It is important to note that ninety

percent of village members are caucasian and

of upper-middle class (Dembosky).

Page 2

Intergenerational Housing

By 2017, one in ten Americans will be over

seventy years old, and the population in this

age range is expected to increase by four million

within the next five years (Ducker). Due to this

trend, housing developers expect considerable

demand for housing that responds to seniors’

active lifestyles and dynamic preferences.

This idea has developed into a re-emergence

of housing projects integrating senior housing

communities and market-value family

housing, ultimately cultivating amalgamated

and intergenerational neighborhoods.

For example, the city council of Santa Clara,

California approved a new urban housing

development that will offer market-rate

town homes and affordable housing intended

particularly for senior and veterans. The

community will be built to surround a central

agricultural space, featuring unique services

such as an open area for a famers market. The

farm-to-table concept goes beyond health and

ecological consciousness, as the community

design also intends to foster interactions

between the residents from a broad

spectrum of socioeconomic and generational

backgrounds.

Photo courtesy of Ebenezer

Page 3

The Interview Process

Student/volunteer teams

interviewed 12 families and

individuals living on Calmar

Avenue on two subsequent

weekends. Of the 35 households in

one block of Calmar, we selected

a number of families varying in

age and number of members

that would represent the diverse

interests and demographics of

the neighborhood. However, the

scope of the interviews was not

exhaustive and cannot account

for all the interests and opinions

of all resident families.

The interviews were conducted

in person at the residents’ homes.

We used a uniform questionnaire

so that all residents responded

to nearly the same questions. A

few new questions were added

following the first round of

interviews. The questionnaire began with general demographic questions and spanned resident

opinions and concerns regarding safety, aging in place, social gatherings, interactions with

neighbors, and skill or service exchange.

Geographic Layout of Calmar Avenue, Oakland

Page 4

Page 5

Results

“If we know one another, we’re safer.”The families interviewevd represented two distinct waves: the most recent included six

families and individuals who moved in 3 to 7 years ago, and the other included 6 families and

individuals who have made Calmar Avenue their home for 19 to 36 years.

We asked residents to rate the importance, on a scale of 1 to 3, of activities that the neighborhood

has focused on in the past: emergency preparedness, safety & crime prevention, and social

gatherings. Although responses were mixed, in general, residents rated social gatherings as

slightly more important to them than emergency preparedness and safety/crime prevention.

Several residents said that they thought that social gatherings and interaction are the foundation

on which other activities are built — “If we know one another, we’re safer.”

The following section elaborates on five main topics: safety, aging in place, social gatherings,

interactions with neighbors, and skills/service exchange.

All residents reported feeling ‘safe’ or ‘pretty safe’ in the neighborhood, although many

mentioned recent auto break-ins. Two neighbors thought that the steep, narrow, winding

configuration of the lower end of the street, near the Calmar/Mandana intersection, is a deterrent

to casual property crime. Two neighbors near the Calmar/Paloma intersection, which has easy

access to Mandana Avenue, reported having their houses broken into, and one reported having

property stolen from their garage.

Some residents expressed concern about sidewalks that are inaccessible due to broken

pavement, encroaching plants, and parked cars. Other concerns were insufficient lighting; some

drivers ignoring the stop sign on Calmar at the Viona intersection; and the lack of a stop sign

at the blind corner (intersection of Viona meets Calmar) where traffic incidents have occurred.

When asked about potential new safety measures, four residents brought up the idea of

installing surveillance cameras or hiring a security patrol. However, the weren’t strongly in

favor of those ideas, and other residents opposed them idea based on privacy concerns and

the subliminal message; “It would be creepy.” One mentioned potential issues with managing

collected video footage.

Safety

Page 6

Ten families and individuals hope to remain in their home and in this neighborhood as long

as possible. Of the ten, three families said that although they intend to remain, they are open

to moving if their circumstances change and their homes no longer suits their needs. They said

that they might decide to leave if their children relocated, or if they wanted to take the equity

out of their home: “It’s a big bank account.”

The greatest concerns regarding aging in place are

steep streets and impaired mobility in multi-level

houses, and the resulting social isolation. When

asked what issues they foresee in being able to stay

in their homes, three residents responded with one

word: “Steps.” After mobility, the most common

concern was being able to maintain the home,

particularly those that are surrounded by large trees.

Aging in Place

Page 7

Long-time residents told us that the number of organized social gatherings--progressive

dinner, neighborhood yard sale, a holiday dinner, and an annual block party--have diminished

in recent years as the people who were willing to organize and host them have burned out. Only

the annual block party continues, although different groups of neighbors host informal events.

Responses varied regarding social gatherings. Five families find current social gatherings

sufficient in variety, number, and frequency. One resident responded that gatherings are

sufficient, but require more organization; another feels that gatherings are too few; and a third

requested more informal gatherings.

Other residents expressed a desire for more gatherings organized with younger families in

mind and that do not require their hiring a sitter: “It would be good to have more neighborhood

events that could accommodate young kids. For example, the Labor Day party is great because

it’s outdoors during the day, but there’s nothing geared toward keeping the kids amused so the

parents can mingle and talk. Friday night is hard for working families, and they need to figure

out how to manage the kids.”

Social Gatherings

Page 8

All interviewed families were satisfied with their interactions with their neighbors; however,

the families noted their interactions were stratified by the family’s age and lifestyles. Various

residents responded that interactions would increase and improve if residents spent more time

in their front yards or other visible spaces, but recognized that this is affected by the street’s

geography. The steepness of the hill results in small, steep front yards, though many houses have

large and inviting backyards. As a result, families retreat into their homes and backyards, away

from shared spaces where interactions with neighbors are more likely to occur. There are two

exceptions to this pattern: nextdoor neighbors near the Calmar/Viona intersection have each

created a small seating area in front of their home, and these have become informal gathering

places in pleasant weather.

Interactions with Neighbors

Page 9

While some residents are very social and readily interact with a high percentage of their

immediate neighbors, the number of neighbors they trust with a favor differs significantly.

Favors are contingent on the reciprocity of the relationship; a resident hesitates to ask for a

favor if the other has not previously requested a favor or explicitly offered to help. They also

gauge the amount of time involved, and are much more likely to ask a neighbor to take in their

mail than to give them a ride to the airport. However, we heard several stories of residents’

voluntarily helping a neighbor in an emergency, usually by giving them a ride to the emergency

room.

continued

Page 10

The interview included a question about the services that each family might be willing to receive

and/or share with their neighbors. Our goal was to gauge interest in an intra-neighborhood

service-sharing program or event. The responses to this question are summarized in the

following chart.

Skills & Service Exchange

Page 11

Proposal

The Calmar Avenue neighbors we interviewed are already fairly satisfied with social interaction

interaction and helpfulness in their neighborhood, but that they’d like to increase the number

of organized, neighborhood-wide events in order to get to know more of their neighbors, and

to address some of the infrastructure issues on the street. In deciding what proposals we might

make, we looked at the top responses to the question about activities and services, and reviewed

the interviews for recurring themes.

The 4 most popular potential services and activities from the interviews, each of which had

at least 50% positive responses, were: watching the house while the owner is away; tool sharing;

group work days; and calling or visiting to check up on neighbors. Additional recurring themes

were a desire for more outdoor events and events that accommodate children, and concern

about the deterioration of sidewalks, making them impassible in some places.

Page 12

Proposal

Page 13

Watching the House while the Owner is AwayThis already happens organically in the neighborhood. There’s no need for a proposal.

Tool SharingAlthough this happens informally, neighbors are interested in expanding it. One

neighbor expressed concern about lending tools that could cause injury, and another

wanted a way to ensure that the tool is returned, and in good condition. Neighbors were

not enthusiastic about managing this with an app. The recurring message was: “Keep it

simple.”

Proposal: Recruit a volunteer tool librarian to maintain the program and visit Oakland

Public Library tool library to see how their program operates. Describe the program in

an email to neighbors and solicit participation. Create a simple database of tools and

equipment members are willing to share, with the owner’s contact information. Create a

mini-contract (“tool will be returned by ___/___/___ in the same condition”), check-out

and return mechanism, and share contact information.

Group Work DaysOur proposal combines neighbors’ desire for more organized events, events that

accommodate kids, and concern about the condition of sidewalks.

Proposal Part I — Sidewalk Flashmob: Various parents expressed concern about

children tripping on broken pavement. We can address this issue as a community. Two

teams start at the top of the hill on opposite sides of the street. The teams consist of adults

and children. Teams walk the sidewalk all the way from Paloma to Mandana, and make

notes (clipboards, cameras) of impediments. At the end of the walk, the teams gather to

compile notes--maybe have an ice cream social--and decide the priorities.

Proposal

Page 14

Group Work Days continuedProposal Part II — First Group Work Day: The list from the Sidewalk Flashmob

becomes the to-do list for the first group work day, where neighbors resolve the easier

items, such as encroaching plants. Team leaders contact the property owners to get their

permission to trim plants and tree branches, and invite the homeowner to participate if

they wish.

More difficult items such as broken pavement and missing curb cuts will require some

research into city codes and permits, and evaluation of the resources (money for materials,

building skills) needed to fix them. The neighborhood will need to decide if they can make

any or all of the repairs themselves on future group work days, or if they need to hire

contractors. When this first project is done, the neighborhood will have a template for

future group work days.

Visiting and Phone calls to Check Up on NeighborsThis also happens organically, to an extent. Neighbors are generally aware of issues

(illness, bereavement, accidents) that affect their immediate neighbors (those whose

houses they can see) and they reach out to help. This could be extended so that other

neighbors are aware of issues and can volunteer to help.

Proposal: Since this is sensitive information, the neighborhood needs a communication

mechanism that’s private and specific to the neighborhood. The current Nextdoor group,

Lower Calmar Loop, is described by neighbors as too broad, public, and superficial. The

current moderators of the Nextdoor group should decide whether a private Nextdoor

group will meet the needs of the neighborhood, or if a simple email list would suffice.

Reclaim Calmar Avenue

Page 15

Many of the front yards on Calmar Avenue are small and steep, and are not used very much,

although neighbors acknowledge that interaction increases when people are visible on the

street. The next two proposals, both of which take place in front of people’s homes, address

that issue.

Front-yard Miniature GolfSome neighbors said that if they miss the popular annual Labor Day barbecue, they’ve missed

the one major neighborhood event of the year. We propose another group event that, although

it would require organizing and teamwork, might become a new annual tradition on Calmar

Avenue.

For this event, each of nine neighbors hosts a golf hole that can be set up on front steps,

in a driveway, or on any available flat area in a front yard. Each hole has a theme, and teams

work together to design and build the hole. Snack and drinks are offered at each hole, and

players vote for the best hole. Players can move through the course on sidewalks only, so that

an encroachment permit to close off the street is not required. The winner gets a trophy, which

can be passed on from year to year.

Reclaim Calmar Avenue

Page 16

Pop-up Brew PubSince this event requires very little organizing--a cooler, some beer, a table and some folding

chairs should do the trick--it can happen several times throughout the year. There might be one

large pub, or several smaller ones. An email or text lets neighbors know where the event is being

held. Neighborhood parents will need to decide whether to adapt this event so that children can

participate.

ToolkitAdditional suggestions regarding front-yard mini golf, pop-up events, and other relevant

neighborhood initiatives can be found in the “Neighborhood Toolkit.”

Richard Carter

Patricia Sussman

Mary Ann Walsh

Jarmin Yeh

Lynn Bajorek

Nicole Black

Jeffrey Chen

Celina Maiorano

Manny Ornelas

Volunteers

Students

To all the Calmar Avenue neighbors who graciously donated their time and consideration:

many thanks! This project would not be possible without your help.

Acknowledgements

Page 16

Thank you to the Navigating the Human Path team for creating this.