Climate Resilience Summit

Effective Planning for CCRCs

Building Climate Resilience

Best Practices for Life Plan Communities

We can create new communities, ones that are resilient,  supportive, and proactive. As elders we have experience, and we  have wisdom. Let us put them to work.

Prepared by Resident “Green Teams” from Six Portland Area Retirement Communities – May 2022

Key Findings

  1. Transition from Sustainability to Resilience
    Retirement communities need to shift focus from sustainability to resilience due to the accelerating impacts of climate change.
  2. Institutional Leadership and Partnership
    Governing boards, administrators, and residents must collaborate to adopt new business, operating, and environmental models that prioritize resilience in the face of future uncertainties.
  3. Five Focus Areas for Best Practices
    • Energy: Prioritize clean, renewable energy sources (solar, wind) and reduce consumption through energy-efficient technologies like LED lighting and heat reuse systems.
    • Food: Encourage plant-based diets, reduce food waste, support local and sustainable food sources, and implement composting.
    • Transportation: Promote electric vehicle usage, provide car-sharing options, and reduce reliance on fossil fuel-based transportation.
    • Land, Water Use & Biodiversity: Reduce lawn areas, plant native species, conserve water, and transition to electric landscape maintenance tools.
    • Waste Reduction & Recycling: Focus on reducing waste through conscious purchasing, reuse programs, and robust recycling initiatives, including handling hard-to-recycle materials.
  4. Collaborative and Innovative Initiatives
    Examples of specific successful actions by residents and management include
    • Clean energy opt-in by residents at Rose Villa
    • Plant-based dining options at Willamette View
    • Electric car sharing program at Mirabella
    • Native plant landscaping at Rose Villa
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Building Climate Resilience
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BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Best Practices for Life Plan Communities

Prepared by the Green Teams at Holladay Park Plaza, Mary’s Woods, Mirabella, Rose Villa, Terwilliger Plaza, and Willamette View.