What Does a Successful Intergenerational Neighbourhood Actually Look Like?

If intergenerational living is more than a housing product, what does it actually look like?

It’s an important question because the answer isn’t simply “more communal space” or “a mix of different house types.”

In our previous articles we argued that intergenerational living is an operating model rather than simply another form of housing. If that’s true, then successful neighbourhoods need to be designed differently from the outset. Establishing the design is vital for developers and investors as its critical to establishing the capital costs. Its also an important part of making the concept come alive.

We would suggest that the design of intergenerational housing schemes d not necessarily have to be radically different. Just more thoughtfully.

It starts with people, not buildings

Too often we masterplan a site by thinking about layout and design to establish capital costs such as roads, parking, densities and unit numbers before asking a more fundamental question: How do we want people to live?

The UK new build residential market has been, to now, been very much driven by value / cost and price.

Intergenerational living does not need follow a prescribed housing typology. It can be apartments or lower density, low rise, style development or a mix. It need not be one tenure type.

Successful neighbourhoods begin by understanding how everyday life unfolds.

• Where do children play?
• Where do neighbours meet?
• Where does someone stop for a conversation?
• Where can an older resident feel connected without feeling dependent?
• Where can someone work remotely without sitting alone all day?

The answers to those questions should shape the masterplan just as much as highways, drainage or viability.

Designing for everyday encounters

Most friendships don’t begin in formal meeting rooms. They happen by chance:

• a conversation outside the front door;
• watching children play;
• walking the dog;
• collecting a parcel; and,
• stopping for a coffee.

The spaces to interact are fundamental to social networks; hence the use of pubs, cafes etc in the UK’s favourite soap operas; which, after all, are about communities meeting in communal spaces.

Good placemaking creates opportunities for these everyday interactions without forcing them. This is not about designing communal spaces for the sake of it.

It’s about creating a network of welcoming public spaces that encourage people to spend time outdoors and feel part of a neighbourhood. The best places provide choice.

Residents can participate when they want to and retreat into the privacy of their own home when they don’t.

Intergenerational living should never feel programmed. It should feel natural.

Public realm is the glue, it really matters

The public realm is often viewed as what sits between buildings. Value engineered all too often. We see it differently. It is the space where community happens.

Tree-lined streets, shared courtyards, pocket parks, community gardens and walkable routes all play an important role in creating healthier, more sociable places.

Equally important are the small details, such as:

• places to sit;
• shelter from the weather;
• good lighting;
• community landscaping / gardens / gardening;
• clear sightlines; and
• safe walking routes.

These are often overlooked, yet they determine whether people choose to spend time outside or simply move between their front door and their car.

Homes that adapt as life changes

Successful neighbourhoods recognise that people’s needs change throughout their lives:

• young professionals become parents;
• families become empty nesters;
• mobility changes; and,
• working patterns evolve.

Rather than designing homes for one moment in time, we should increasingly think about homes that can adapt as people’s circumstances change.

Flexible layouts, step-free access where appropriate, accessible entrances and adaptable internal spaces all help extend the usefulness of housing without compromising mainstream appeal.

Good intergenerational design is not about creating specialist housing. It is about creating homes that continue to work for people throughout different stages of life.

Stewardship is part of the design

Perhaps the biggest misconception is that stewardship begins after construction.

In reality, it starts much earlier.

• Who will manage the neighbourhood?
• Who will organise community activities?
• How will new residents be welcomed?
• How will shared spaces be looked after?
• How will local groups become involved?

These questions should be considered during the design process and account taken before when a landowner is selling the land to a developer. They are not considerations, after practical completion.

The operational model is just as important as the architectural one.

Communities need anchors

The strongest neighbourhoods rarely rely on housing alone. They include places that bring people together:

• a neighbourhood café;
• a small workspace;
• a health hub / generic studios that can be used for the likes of yoga;
• a community garden / landscaping that is communally managed;
• a local shop; and
• a play space.

These aren’t simply amenities. They’re places where relationships begin. They can also help bring in others into an inter-generational scheme; thus increasing its reach.

We also have to accept that not everyone who moves into an inter-generational scheme may not have a desire to be involved in all aspects.

The more reasons people have to leave their front door and spend time locally, the stronger the community is likely to become.

The role of ethical capitalism

At Whatif..., we often talk about ethical capitalism because we believe successful development should create value in more than one way.

Good neighbourhoods generate financial returns. They also generate healthier lives, stronger communities and greater resilience.

Those outcomes are not in conflict. In fact, we believe they increasingly reinforce one another.

Creating places where people choose to stay, contribute and belong is good for residents, good for investors and good for society.

Looking ahead

Perhaps the biggest shift in thinking is this. A successful intergenerational neighbourhood isn’t defined by the age of its residents.

It’s defined by the quality of the relationships between them.

Buildings provide the framework. Public realm creates the opportunities. Stewardship helps those opportunities become everyday life.

The most successful neighbourhoods of the future won’t simply be measured by how many homes they deliver.

They’ll be remembered for the communities they create.

At Whatif..., we believe that’s where the future of placemaking lies.

Because ultimately, great places aren’t designed around buildings. They’re designed around people.