August 20, 2026
Supporting Aging in Community in Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities
ARC Fellow: Ellie Anderson
Degree Program: Master of Landscape Architecture
Faculty Advisors: Ana Pinto da Silva (Human Centered Design & Engineering)
Firm: Mithun
Firm Advisors: Jason Steiner, Charlie Able, Anne M. Torney, Greg Catron
Project dates: Autumn 2024 – Spring 2025
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More about the project:
Aging in community emphasizes connections to the social networks and services needed for a person to continue living in their community. This study explores how older adults in naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs), communities with a majority of residents age 55+, build and maintain social connections and access services and amenities as they age. Through mapping of Census data, this study identifies King County’s NORCs. Interviews and a focus group with older adults and observational studies then reveal opportunities for built environment design, services and amenities planning, and meaningful social connections to respond to the needs of older adults and support aging in community in two of King County’s urban NORCs.
Site criteria for Seattle’s NORC block groups. ELLIE ANDERSON
NORC block groups shifted over time. Three of the four Seattle NORCs in 2010 were no longer NORCs in 2020. By 2020, three different block groups were NORCs. Only one block group was a NORC in 2010 and 2020 (Bitter Lake). ELLIE ANDERSON
