The assignment for the graduation studio Dwelling Designing for Health and Care focuses on designing a health- or care-related building that promotes an inclusive and supportive living environment for the lonely in society. Tarwewijk, an urban neighborhood in Rotterdam South, serves as the central case study.

Loneliness is a growing social and health issue that needs to be addressed in Western cities, particularly in urban neighbourhoods. While occasional loneliness is not inherently harmful, chronic loneliness poses serious health risks, including depression, heart disease, and increased mortality (Cacioppo et al., 2006; Thurston en Kubzansky, 2009; Penninx et al., 1997, Coalitie Erbij, 2018; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015). In the Netherlands, elderly individuals are especially vulnerable due to declining physical and cognitive health, which hinders social connections (Campen et al., 2018). The Campaign to End Loneliness emphasizes its severity, equating its health impact to smoking 15 cigarettes daily (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015).
However, young adults aged 16 and 24 are also at high risk of loneliness, according to international surveys, especially in Western countries (e.g., Hammond et al., 2018; Nemecek, 2020; DiJulio et al., 2018; Pyle & Evans, 2018; Payne, 2021; Ibbetson, 2019). Factors, such as relocation for education or work (Kaplan etal., 2020), or reliance on digital communication, rather than socializing in person with friends, family, neighbours or colleagues (Roe & McCay, 2021), contribute to this trend. Urban contexts further amplify loneliness in this group when feelings of distrust, insecurity, or lack of belonging arise (Pyle & Evans, 2018). This shows the complexity of loneliness because it is multifaceted, multigenerational and context-specific (Moore et al., 2023), requiring tailored urban interventions to promote inclusion and social engagement.

In conclusion, loneliness among elderly people and young adults is increasingly prevalent and detrimental to health in urban neighborhoods. This study investigates how urban neighbourhoods, like Tarwewijk, can incorporate multigenerational communal spaces that foster social wellbeing, social engagement and a sense of belonging in the neighbourhood, hypothesizing that such designs are an architectural means to alleviate loneliness.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In what way can the design of
communal spaces in urban neighbourhoods, such as the Tarwewijk, help reduce loneliness among residents of different age groups?
1. What specific factors contribute to feelings of loneliness among residents in the Tarwewijk?
2. What roles do the current communal spaces play regarding combating loneliness in the Tarwewijk?
3. How can the design of (future) intergenerational communal spaces be catered to the social needs of the elderly and young adults?