Age-Friendly Ecosystems: Environments for Equitable Aging by Design

Valerie Chang Greer, AIA, LEED AP, is an Assistant Professor in the University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning and an architect with experience designing healthcare facilities, campuses and housing. Greer is Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Architecture and co-Director of the Healthy Aging Resilient Places (HARP) Lab at the University of Utah. Her research utilizes participatory community engagement and co-creation methods to explore the impact of built environments on health and wellness. Greer teaches design studios and professional practice at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Linda S. Edelman, PhD, RN, is a Professor in the University of Utah College of Nursing. Her research focus is rural aging and improving older adult care transitions through interprofessional education and community-based research. Dr. Edelman leads the Utah Geriatric Education Consortium (UGEC), an interprofessional HRSA funded workforce development grant focusing on improving the life and care of older adults through age-friendly care. The UGEC partners with U Health’s Age Friendly Health Systems initiative and with long-term services and supports organizations across Utah to implement the ＂4Ms＂ framework.