Building Livable Communities in SecondlifeA Project of the Westchester Alliance for Livable Communities

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?

What are Livable Communities?

A place where people of all ages and abilities will stay:ActiveHappyHealthy

… as they grow older in their own homes and communities.

Features of a Livable Community

Livable Communities have within them:• A wide-range of recreational, social andcultural 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

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

Why Now ? Why Westchester ?

Almost

• 1 of every • 5 people • is 60 years and older

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

What is the Westchester Alliance?

A consortium of colleges, universities,community-based not-for-profits andbusinesses working together to addressthe aging phenomenon by facilitatingcurricula that address aging issues andpromoting interest in careers in aging.

How does the Westchester Alliance Work?

Westchester Department of SeniorPrograms and Services Staff andWestchester College/University Liaisonsdesign and coordinate intergenerationalprojects. This is accomplished ininternships, community and servicelearning and field placements.

What is Second Life?

Second Life

Second Life is a Virtual World

A Virtual world is an online environment A Virtual world is an online environment where the residents are avatars that where the residents are avatars that represent the individuals that are represent the individuals that are participating online.participating online.

Users of virtual worlds design their Users of virtual worlds design their environments and often their avatars as environments and often their avatars as well, from gender to clothing and hairstyle, well, from gender to clothing and hairstyle, and control how those avatars and control how those avatars communicate, move, create things, and communicate, move, create things, and interact. interact.

The Virtual World

• The functioning of a virtual world can mirror The functioning of a virtual world can mirror that of the real world, or it can allow that of the real world, or it can allow residents to do such things as fly, wander residents to do such things as fly, wander around underwater, or teleport themselves to around underwater, or teleport themselves to other locations. other locations.

• Today’s virtual worlds are immersive, Today’s virtual worlds are immersive, animated, 3D environments that operate animated, 3D environments that operate over the Internet, giving access to anyone in over the Internet, giving access to anyone in the world.the world.

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

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

What does it look like?

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”

Who are you in Second Life?

• Avatars

• Virtual representation of yourself

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

Avatars (people) are diverse

Building Livable Communities in Second Life

The Competition

Contest Description:The object of thiscompetition was to create a3D Intergenerational livablecommunity space anddesign in a way whichpeople can grow up andgrow old comfortably

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

•

Eligibility Requirements

Students were eligible to enter this contest ifStudents were eligible to enter this contest ifthey:they:• Are a student attending a Westchester,NY Are a student attending a Westchester,NY

based academic institution based academic institution • Registered with Westchester AllianceRegistered with Westchester Alliance• Program and Technical Coordinator for Program and Technical Coordinator for • Livable Community ProjectLivable Community Project• Will designate a Livable Community Team Will designate a Livable Community Team • of no more than 4 students of no more than 4 students • Must be willing to present project at a location Must be willing to present project at a location

determined by advisory committeedetermined by advisory committee

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%

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

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

Awards

• $750 Award to the winning team• $500 2nd place• $250 3rd place

• Certificate of Participation will be awarded to

• each team member • Article published in “Generations”

Contestants

Manhattanville College, Purchase NY

Pace University, Pleasantville & New York City Campus

Monroe College, New Rochelle Campus

Building Livable Communities in Second Life

Support TeamDr. 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

Building Livable Communities in Second LIfe

Faculty Advisors & Team Members

Manhattanville College Pace University Monroe CollegeFaculty Advisor Faculty Advisor Faculty AdvisorDr. Norman Bashias Dr. Jean Coppola Prof J. ShawTeam Members Team Members Team MembersJustin Capalbo Lloyd Duberry Sadiq BurkeLawrence Laski Luisa Morales DeAndre ElvyEric Pierce Jermaine Hamilton Jaime Rosalez-Duque Audre King  Ed Hazel

Jennelle Mason

Bedrooms were constructed with low beds for easy entry

While maybe not cost-effective,

elevators and ramps were installed in

several of the homes rather than staircases

Some of the larger homes included rooftop gardens and greenhouses

Everyone was a winner!

• The students went above and beyond what we expected

• 1st Place Pace University Team• 2nd Place Monroe College• 3rd Place Manhattanville

– Many aspects of the house were considered– Validated the requirements

Video

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.

What’s Next

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

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 PutnamHelen Andrus Benedict Foundation