The document summarizes a contest held by the Westchester Alliance for Livable Communities to design livable communities for aging populations in the virtual world Second Life. Student teams from local colleges were tasked with creating 3D intergenerational community spaces that allow people to comfortably age in place. The winning team received $750, with second and third place receiving $500 and $250 respectively. The goal was to help students understand the needs of older adults to influence real world community design. Future contests will involve designing distinct community elements like streets, homes, and parks.

1. Building Livable Communities in Secondlife A Project of the Westchester Alliance for Livable Communities

2. Building Livable Communities in Secondlife We will answer the following questions : What are Livable Communities? What is the Westchester Alliance? What is Second Life? What was our contest about? What’s next?

3. What are Livable Communities? A place where people of all ages and abilities will stay: Active Happy Healthy … as they grow older in their own homes and communities.

4. Features of a Livable Community Livable Communities have within them: A wide-range of recreational, social and cultural activities Good Healthcare Accessible Public Transportation and walkable streets Affordable, accessible housing options and more Formal and Informal Services Safety & Security Roads designed for safe driving

5. Advantages of Livable Communities They provide the opportunity for people: To stay in own home and community To stay connected to friends and family To stay healthy To stay active and engaged in the community and socially

6. Why Now ? Why Westchester ? Almost 1 of every 5 people is 60 years and older

7. Why Now? Why Westchester? Did you know Almost 80% of people 65 + living alone are women. A little over one–third of people 65+ report a disability ¾ physical disability Number and severity increase with age

8. What is the Westchester Alliance? A consortium of colleges, universities, community-based not-for-profits and businesses working together to address the aging phenomenon by facilitating curricula that address aging issues and promoting interest in careers in aging.

9. How does the Westchester Alliance Work? Westchester Department of Senior Programs and Services Staff and Westchester College/University Liaisons design and coordinate intergenerational projects. This is accomplished in internships, community and service learning and field placements.

10. What is Second Life? Second Life

11. Second Life is a Virtual World A Virtual world is an online environment where the residents are avatars that represent the individuals that are participating online. Users of virtual worlds design their environments and often their avatars as well, from gender to clothing and hairstyle, and control how those avatars communicate, move, create things, and interact.

12. The Virtual World The functioning of a virtual world can mirror that of the real world, or it can allow residents to do such things as fly, wander around underwater, or teleport themselves to other locations. Today’s virtual worlds are immersive, animated, 3D environments that operate over the Internet, giving access to anyone in the world.

13. Second Life the Ultimate Virtual World 3-D animated “metaverse” Humans interact via “avatars” Create , build, work, play, socialize Without real world limitations Environment (servers, software) owned by Linden Lab, small CA company Grown explosively – >11,000,000 registered inhabitants from around the globe Originally intended as social experience Business is now being conducted

14. Secondlife Population Residents Logged-In: During Last 7 Days 438,601 During Last 14 Days 586,647 During Last 30 Days 860,629 During Last 60 Days 1,341,350 Total Residents 11,852,562

15. What does it look like?

16. Second Life Popularity “ Residents come to the world from over 100 countries with concentrations in North America and the UK … 60% are men, 40% are women and they span in age from 18 - 85.” It is NOT a “game”

17. Who are you in Second Life? Avatars Virtual representation of yourself

18. Avatars Your virtual representation Stored in a central database Important features Appearance How you look (height, clothing, etc) Inventory What you can use and what you can DO Local animations Local sounds Other primitives or scripts Communication State and Motion Position, orientation, velocity, colliding, physics, etc

19. Avatars (people) are diverse

20. Building Livable Communities in Second Life The Competition Contest Description: The object of this competition was to create a 3D Intergenerational livable community space and design in a way which people can grow up and grow old comfortably

21. Competition Requirements Register with the Westchester Alliance and Technical coordinator for Livable Community Project Team should communicate with Livable Community Advisory Committee Team must adhere to requirements stipulated by technical coordinator – these requirements include – communication through a system established by technical coordinator Follow instruction posted on website Project presentation must be completed by end date in order to be considered for cash award or honorable mention

22. Eligibility Requirements Students were eligible to enter this contest if they: Are a student attending a Westchester,NY based academic institution Registered with Westchester Alliance Program and Technical Coordinator for Livable Community Project Will designate a Livable Community Team of no more than 4 students Must be willing to present project at a location determined by advisory committee

23. Judging Information The presentation that received the highest score, as determined by the judges, will be declared the winner. Judging was based on: Creativity - 25% Originality- 25% Feasibility- 25% Quality of Presentation- 25%

24. Judging Criteria Creative – Team generates new ideas or associations that relates to the assigned task to develop livable community areas. Original – Using creative themes the Team develops the livable community area new and different and unlike others. Feasible – project is practical and can be put into effect Quality of presentation – Team presentation is well-thought out – easily understood

25. Faculty Advisors formed Teams Team Formation: Faculty Perspective Extra Credit or Required Intergenerational Communication via Twitter, TextMsg, Email, Phone, etc. Non-Majors / Any Discipline Interdisciplinary teams Community college and university collaborations

26. Awards $750 Award to the winning team $500 2nd place $250 3 rd place Certificate of Participation will be awarded to each team member Article published in “ Generations”

27. Contestants Manhattanville College, Purchase NY Pace University, Pleasantville & New York City Campus Monroe College, New Rochelle Campus

28. Building Livable Communities in Second Life Support Team Dr. Matt Ganis, IBM Second Life Island Manager – Project Advisor Dozene Guishard, MPA – Executive Director, Livable Communities Colette Phipps – Deputy Executive Director, Livable Communities Director, Westchester Alliance

29. Building Livable Communities in Second LIfe Faculty Advisors & Team Members Manhattanville College Pace University Monroe College Faculty Advisor Faculty Advisor Faculty Advisor Dr. Norman Bashias Dr. Jean Coppola Prof J. Shaw Team Members Team Members Team Members Justin Capalbo Lloyd Duberry Sadiq Burke Lawrence Laski Luisa Morales DeAndre Elvy Eric Pierce Jermaine Hamilton Jaime Rosalez-Duque Audre King Ed Hazel Jennelle Mason

33. Bedrooms were constructed with low beds for easy entry

34. While maybe not cost-effective, elevators and ramps were installed in several of the homes rather than staircases

35. Some of the larger homes included rooftop gardens and greenhouses

36. Everyone was a winner! The students went above and beyond what we expected 1 st Place Pace University Team 2 nd Place Monroe College 3 rd Place Manhattanville Many aspects of the house were considered Validated the requirements

37. Video

38. IMPORTANT ! This project was NOT about Technology It’s about changing the perspective of our young people. By providing a contest where they need to understand and think of the issues as they relate to the elderly, we hope that the lessons they’ve learned here (in the virtual world) will go back with them into the real world - causing them to pause and think when they plan new cities, build homes or engineer new solutions for our daily lives.

39. What’s Next

40. The Future The next contest will be larger and more advanced Student teams will be assigned a particular facet of a community and be responsible for its construction Streets Homes Parks Shopping Schools

41. Project Sponsors Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services Westchester Alliance of Academic Institutions for Aging Related Studies and Workforce Development United Way of Westchester and Putnam Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation