WRDC presents at RMLUI Conference “the Aging West”
Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute (RMLUI) conference ‘The Aging West’
Starts March 5th 2025, 8:30am Mountain
Ends March 7th 2025, 4:45pm Mountain
Where : University of Denver | Sturm College of Law
Professionals from the Western Rural Development Center and the University of Idaho (U of I) will present two sessions at this year’s Rocky Mountain Land-Use Institute (RMLUI) conference, hosted by the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. RMLUI brings together “…the best ideas for how communities can update their planning processes, infrastructure, and regulatory systems to meet the moment.”
This year’s Western Places | Western Spaces theme is ‘The Aging West.’ Conference sessions center on the effects and responses to the West’s aging population and both physical and intellectual infrastructure. The two WRDC sessions illustrate the need for Western communities to address the nexus between aging populations and aging infrastructure, and to cultivate rural partnership networks and professional development resources that serve rural communities.
‘Stronger Together: Partners and Professional Development’ features U of I Professor & Extension Specialist Lorie Higgins, WRDC’s Executive Director Paul Lewin, and WRDC’s Housing and Community Access Specialist Erik Kingston. The three have a long history of collaboration with Idaho Rural Partnership’s legacy Community Review process, while Higgins founded and directs the Western Community Assessment Network, or WeCAN.
The tri-state WeCAN team represents Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming and has created tools and resources for rural communities seeking local solutions. These include peer learning networks, community bootcamps, and roundtables that foster productive conversation of critical rural topics such as housing, mental health, infrastructure, workforce, and local community crowdfunding.
Lewin previously served as an associate professor, UI Extension Specialist, and director of the Rural Studies and Digital Economy programs. His new WRDC role is to build relationships throughout the West to share ideas and leverage strengths that benefit rural communities. Kingston is a board member of the National Community Development Council and Idaho Access Project and long-time presenter with the Northwest Community Development Institute, which offers professional development for community champions. “As the only CDI training offered in the western region,” notes Kingston, “we have a unique opportunity to extend the scope and reach of this CDI to include WRDC’s broader jurisdiction.”
‘Adapting to Age and Ability: Creating homes and neighborhoods for life’ features WRDC’s Tom Trotter and Erik Kingston, along with fellow Idaho Access Project board member Jeremy Maxand, Executive Director of SW Idaho’s Living Independent Network Corporation. They will be joined by a panelist from the AARP Colorado office. Trotter—who has long worked within AARP’s Livable Community framework—stresses the ideal of a community that is “…safe and secure, has affordable and appropriate housing and transportation options, and offers supportive community features and services.”
This year’s topics seem more critical every day; communities need to do more with less while still pursuing essential goals like community access, connectivity, independence, and housing for all residents. “The RMLUI conference is a perfect place for WRDC to engage with others committed to building stronger western communities and economies,” says Kingston, who spent the past three decades coordinating statewide housing and economic development initiatives before joining WRDC.
