Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Podcast

Talking Headways Podcast: Indexing Livability for All Ages

podcast icon logo

This week we chat with Rodney Harrell of the AARP Public Policy Institute about their new Livability Index Tool. I ask him who the tool was created for and tell him why it should be regarded as more than just magazine clickbait. We talk about the robust policy tools that were included for each section and how the data was collected and at what geographic scale.

We also have a chat about the neighborhood scores and what disappointed us about our neighborhood ratings. Rodney discusses how he’s already used the index to promote investment in his neighborhood and how other neighborhoods around the country are using it too. Finally we discuss which cities surprise him and get into a quick chat about Twitter use among policy wonks and why people who have to take care of family members later in life are more likely to be aware of livability issues.

Join us for a fun data driven conversation.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Daylighting Isn’t Anti-Driver — It’s Pro-Common Sense

Listen to a Republican: "The Department of Transportation's negative report on daylighting is like judging the effectiveness of lifeboats on the Titanic by studying the ones that never left the ship."

November 14, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Are Crashing Out

Despite some improvement over the past couple of years, U.S. traffic deaths remain higher than they were before the pandemic.

November 14, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: How Can Transit Agencies Help Homeless Residents?

Cortni Desir of the Connecticut DOT joins the podcast to discuss homelessness and the importance of curiosity in public service.

November 13, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Say It Ain’t So

Climate change is happening, whether you want to call it that or not.

November 13, 2025
See all posts