A well-developed community is usually one that has a variety of functions that meet the needs of its residents; in other words, a study of the local demographics goes a long way in determining how functional the area is. But that’s not all; as this blogger mentioned, when an area has a rich functional composition, it attracts a variety of people to live there, and a more outward-looking and attractive community can contribute to the economic and cultural development of the area.
After reading this blog, I couldn’t help but be inspired to think about how multifunctionality can be applied to communities. Obviously, we can assign different functional needs to different building types, but it is also a good option to bring together many different functions into one building system to create multifunctional facilities. We can learn from the design thinking of others and develop ideas to better serve our cities and communities in the future.
Mixed age-appropriate community
In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on the environment and overall ambience of the communities in which people live, and this is a very important part of urban design. Every city is made up of individual communities.
Humans are social beings. Contact with family,friends, and social circles is not just pleasurable, it is essential. An individual’s very sense of self is shaped and maintained through social life. The quality and quantity of social interaction and sense of belonging strongly influence physical and mental health (House, Landis, and Umberson 1988; Lomas 1998; Cohen 2004).
Fig.1.0.Image by Huangyun Zhou
Different age groups have different needs for community. Older people may need good health support and good community functions to make them want to get out of the house to find their hobbies (e.g. participating in community public classes, reading or something as simple as growing vegetables and fruits, etc.). Middle-aged people may need a relatively spacious home to live in with their partner and children, a small yard, easy parking and rubbish disposal. For young people, who may not need a large home, a cost effective home with easy access to amenities9 such as a gym, activity room and easy access to public transport would be their choice.
Fig.1.1. Different Type Of The Buildings by Huangyun Zhou
In this semester’s housing design course I have tried to plan a community with different types of housing such as retreats, youth flats, townhouses and services, as a result of the ageing population and the diversity of life in the city. The community is alive with residents, employees and visitors of all ages. I want the community to be comfortable for children, young people, seniors and the elderly, especially those who need more care to enjoy the same quality of life as people of other ages. The green spaces within the site are divided into private, shared and public. The different green spaces echo the different functions of the buildings. I have also tried to use Passivhaus in the design to save more energy for the community.The Passivhaus offers improved comfort with very low energy consumption. The building is built with great attention to detail, has a strict specification and has to pass a rigorous review.
Fig.1.2. Goldsmith Street (https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/88435992)
When people of all ages can find a sense of presence and their ideal function in a community, this makes them feel happy and more inclined to choose such a community.This can also lead to the development of cities and a sense of well-being and economic development.
References:
1.Stafford, Philip B. The Global Age-friendly Community Movement : A Critical Appraisal. 2019. Life Course, Culture and Aging: Global Transformations ; Volume 5. Web.
2.Goldsmith Street ( https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/88435992)
A well-developed community is usually one that has a variety of functions that meet the needs of its residents; in other words, a study of the local demographics goes a long way in determining how functional the area is. But that’s not all; as this blogger mentioned, when an area has a rich functional composition, it attracts a variety of people to live there, and a more outward-looking and attractive community can contribute to the economic and cultural development of the area.
After reading this blog, I couldn’t help but be inspired to think about how multifunctionality can be applied to communities. Obviously, we can assign different functional needs to different building types, but it is also a good option to bring together many different functions into one building system to create multifunctional facilities. We can learn from the design thinking of others and develop ideas to better serve our cities and communities in the future.
Enjoyed this blog as you not only did some research on the topic, but also used your own project as an example for a more in-depth discussion. In a seminal 1986 study, McMillan and Chavis identify four elements of “sense of community”:membership: feeling of belonging or of sharing a sense of personal relatedness；influence: mattering, making a difference to a group and of the group mattering to its members；reinforcement: integration and fulfillment of needs；shared emotional connection. So I think it’s very important that you take into account the different needs of each age group. However, since it is suitable for mixed-age housing, we need to take into account additional factors such as the educational resources in the vicinity of the community, the availability of appropriate facilities for older people (barrier-free access, medical resources, etc.) and the availability of recreational activities for younger people. It is also worth considering how to balance the relative preference of older people for a quieter environment with the preference of younger people for a more convenient and lively environment.
As a world, we have an aging population and currently many housing solutions provide specialised buildings and care which often isolate older persons from wider communities. In my own blog post I discuss how generations can be mixed within a home, but it is interesting to discuss how a community approach can be beneficial.
Research suggests that intergenerational communities can foster safety and security for residents (Seitz, 2020). Cohousing schemes often provide intergenerational communities. At Marmalade Lane the ethos is that younger generations assist with physical tasks whereas older generations provide childcare and support.
Research suggests that through designing safer and more walkable neighbourhoods we can create more accessible places, encouraging intergenerational mixing (Warner, 2010). I think this should be policy-led. There are moves to increase accessibility of buildings through changes in the Building Regulations Part M. Moreover, WHO and UNICEF are encouraging council engagement with wider demographics to create a more balanced representation of community needs in design codes and guidance (Warner, 2010).
Integration of social uses for different generational needs encourage interactions which support a thriving community (Warner, 2019). As Jiaxi suggests above, providing buildings and spaces with multifunctional uses will naturally facilitate the interaction of different generations.
1. Warner, M., Homsy, G.C. and Greenhouse, E. (2010) Multi-generational community planning: Linking the needs of children and older adults.
2. Warner, M.E. and Zhang, X. (2019) Planning communities for all ages. Journal of Planning Education and Research.
3. Epimakhova, T. (2016) “Designing for Multigenerational Community: Creating a Supportive Environment for Young and Old in the U.S.A.” (2016). All Theses.
4. Seitz, A (2020) How can Cities be Designed for Women. [online] Available at: https://streets.mn/2020/05/22/how-can-cities-be-designed-for-women/ (Accessed on 20/05/22)
Huangyun, I like how, in this blog entry, you discuss your own project about mixed-aged appropriate communities after discussing your research on the matter.
The process of “ageing in place”, which entails residing in one’s own neighbourhood with a certain sense of autonomy rather than through assisted living, is commonly regarded as desirable (Beerens et al., 2016). Nevertheless, there are considerable obstacles (such as appropriate health care, potential hazards, and finances) that have led some scholars to make the argument that an emphasis must be put on growing older in an appropriate location (van Hood et al., 2018). Some argue therefore that mixed age-appropriate communities would be this answer to this problem.
To shape age-friendly cities allows for the social contribution of older individuals as they become valued members of a community, which will in turn support them through security and safety, as commented by Louise. However, when thinking of designing mixed age-appropriate communities, it is important to think about the ‘smaller details’ that are often overlooked. Amenities such as public toilets (with an accessible unit as well as baby changing units) or furniture for seating, are often forgotten – however they are crucial to the development and comfort of the people living within these communities. I find that Luke’s blog on Age-Friendly Spaces depicts this very well as he even suggests examples such as the Bedminster Toilet Map.
References
Beerens, H., de Boer, B., Zwakhalen, S., Tan, F., Ruwaard, D., Hamers, J. & Verbeek, H (2016) The association between aspects of daily life and quality of life of people with dementia living in long-term care facilities: a momentary assessment study. International Psychogeriatrics.
Van Hood, J., Kazak, J., Perek-Bialas, J. & Peek, S. (2018) The Challenges of Urban Ageing:Making Cities Age-Friendly in Europe. Basel: MDPI.
Thank you for sharing your idea about the integrated age community. As we have been through together, in the Housing Alternatives module, we have practiced our own analysis on a given site in Gateshead and designed various housing typologies. I believe the Gateshead area has a strong potential opportunity for intergeneration living based on its demographic and the analysis that we had. Thus I could understand easily why you get on this topic.
It is also important in terms of creating a mixed community to avoid social segregation. A lack of social connection is proven to be comparable to the impact of well-known risk factors such as obesity and has a similar influence as cigarette smoking (Holt-Lunstad, 2010). “Being socially connected to others is not only influential for psychological and emotional well-being but it also has a significant and positive influence on physical well-being and Overall longevity” said Julianne Holt-Lunstad (et al., 2015, pp.227), professor of psychology at Brigham Young University.
As a result, Promoting a mixed community help not only for their neighbourhood but also individual mental health. Mixed-age community that you intruduced also will be able those goals by creating social interaction.
References
– Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T.B. and Layton, J.B. (2010). Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review. PLoS Medicine, [online] 7(7). Available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316