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►SK THE ,AUTHOR IoiN usoNlIriEi
<br />Go online during the month ofjanuary to participate in our `Ask the
<br />Author" forum, an interactive feature ofZoning Practice. Robert A.
<br />Graham will be available to answer questions about this article. Go
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<br />Ask the Author section. From there, just submit your questions about
<br />t
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<br />About the Author
<br />Robert A. Graham is a= 1967 graduate of the University ofWisconsin-
<br />Madison, and has served as a city planner and 'community
<br />developmentdirector for 46 years. He served in,Chemung County/
<br />Elmira, New York; St. Louis Park, Minnesota; and Albert Lea,
<br />Minnesota. Graham is a charter member ofAPA, has been active on
<br />the Minnesota Chapter board, and recently received the chapter's
<br />Lifetime Achievement Award. He has retired from government and is
<br />not an independent consultant.;,
<br />place. The typical three -bedroom suburban
<br />home may no longer meet the family's needs
<br />and is not easily converted to a workplace.
<br />Furthermore, their current home may not easily
<br />accommodate assistance equipment such as
<br />wheelchairs, walkers, and scooters.
<br />The housing proposed in the work -at-
<br />home village would include universal acces-
<br />sibility design standards to promote indepen-
<br />dent living. However, this concept is not just for
<br />retirees and may meet the needs of those with
<br />physical challenges and others simply choos-
<br />ing to work from their home.
<br />Numerous professional service firms
<br />already encourage working from home as a
<br />way to minimize costs associated with acquir-
<br />ing and maintaining office space. Other firms
<br />use shared office space for the same reason.
<br />Meanwhile, many companies employ individu-
<br />als with physical limitations whose ideal work-
<br />ing environment may be in the work -at-home
<br />village.
<br />Many cities and small towns in the
<br />Northeast and Midwest face the risk of losing
<br />knowledgeable and experienced residents to
<br />retirement -friendly communities in the Sun
<br />Belt. Communities that promote housing al-
<br />ternatives that enable residents to age (and
<br />work) in place would likely have a competitive
<br />advantage over conventional bedroom suburbs
<br />in retaining and attracting residents.
<br />Professionals who work from home need
<br />to make physical, social, and psychologi-
<br />cal transitions from the conventional office
<br />environment. Working from home involves a
<br />potential decrease in social interaction in ex-
<br />change for greater flexibility in work schedule.
<br />Working from home is also often associated
<br />with increased family responsibilities, such
<br />as home, child, or partner care that may have
<br />been outsourced previously. Interruptions from
<br />family members may make it more difficult to
<br />be creative and efficient. Consequently, an
<br />environment specifically designed for work -at-
<br />home professionals could be an important part
<br />of making a successful transition.
<br />THE VISION
<br />The single-family detached home that many
<br />baby boomers grew up in offers three bed-
<br />rooms, a kitchen, family space, a basement, a
<br />garage, and a driveway fora couple of vehicles.
<br />Retirement housing, often considered down-
<br />sizing, offers various forms of living including
<br />two -bedroom duplexes or town homes, apart-
<br />ments, retirement communities with services,
<br />and manufactured home communities.
<br />In these developments home office space
<br />options are often limited to a guest bedroom,
<br />basement, or, in some cases, garages. These
<br />nontraditional workspaces frequently suffer
<br />from,a shortage of daylight or privacy. Bedroom
<br />spaces may have access and egress issues,
<br />and as workers age, they may also present
<br />safety issues. Basements may require remodel-
<br />ing and replumbing to create suitable space.
<br />In contrast, a work -at-home village is
<br />designed from the outset to facilitate working
<br />at home. The prototypical unit is a twin home
<br />(i.e., two attached single-family residences
<br />on individual lots). This prototype is just one
<br />example, and each work -at-home village
<br />would likely be comprised of a variety of unit
<br />types designed to accommodate both living
<br />and working. All units would be designed to
<br />meet suggested standards for accessibility.
<br />Additionally, the work -at-home village would
<br />include play spaces and a centrally located
<br />village gathering place with some convenience
<br />commercial activities. All community features
<br />would be accessible. In most instances, a resi-
<br />dent association would take responsibility for
<br />maintaining yards and common areas.
<br />It is important to note that a work -at-
<br />home village differs from common conceptual-
<br />izations of live/work districts. While the goal of
<br />most live/work districts is to provide space for
<br />artists, artisans, and shopkeepers to live above
<br />or behind their publicly visible and accessible
<br />workplaces, the work -at-home village combines
<br />living and working space while retaining the
<br />appearance of a residential development and
<br />the compactness of a village lifestyle.
<br />The vision of a work -at-home village is
<br />also different from a neighborhood that hap-
<br />pens to have a high concentration of home -
<br />based businesses. The vision also recreates
<br />the small village with the village green but the
<br />green becomes the central village gathering
<br />place. Instead of having some services on the
<br />edge of the community, the services and gath-
<br />ering place are in the center to facilitate inter-
<br />actions among neighbors. The gathering place
<br />would include a coffee shop, small conference
<br />center, exercise facilities, administrative sup-
<br />port services, child and adult day care, and
<br />depending on its proximity to a commercial
<br />center, convenience food and fuel service.
<br />ZONINGPRACTICE 114
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 3
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