Rodney Harrell

Rodney Harrell is Vice President of Livable Communities and Long Term Services and Supports at AARP, leading AARP Public Policy Institute’s research and innovations to improve the lives of millions of older adults with care needs, to assist the families who support them, and to create communities that serve people of all ages.

He is an international speaker, researcher and blogger on livable communities issues and leads AARP’s Future of Housing work. His research on housing preferences, neighborhood choice and community livability are integral to the world-renowned AARP Livability Index that measures every US neighborhood.

Dr. Harrell graduated summa cum laude from the honors program at Howard University; earned dual master’s degrees in public affairs and urban planning from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University; and received a PhD in urban planning from the University of Maryland. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies, and was named to the initial class of Top Influencers in Aging for his work.