Past forward: the postwar neighbourhood elderly-friendly

Abstract

By 2040 a quarter of the Dutch population consists of elderly people. This increasing number of elderly will lead to a higher demand for healthcare, but the healthcare sector is already overburdened by the high demand and shortages of professionals. Therefore, elderly have to live independently for as long as possible and enough suitable ageing-friendly housing is necessary. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many seniors find themselves residing in homes designed for families. Especially when living alone, these houses are often excessively spacious and unsuitable for ageing in place. However, alternatives to move to are not available or do not suit their needs, because they are for example not in their current neighbourhood or not affordable. At the moment the housing construction is stalled and housing plans can take many years, so it is necessary to focus on opportunities. This study focuses on addressing this issue by exploring the potential of transforming postwar neighbourhoods into ageing-friendly living environments, because research shows that solutions can be found in the existing urban context of the postwar neighbourhood.

The research investigates the architectural and spatial elements necessary for creating ageing-friendly environments through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, case study and by going on a fieldwork week to an real-life example of a residential facility where elderly people live together as a community. The results about housing preferences and needs of elderly people are translated into design guidelines for an elderly-friendly living environment divided into three scales: neighbourhood, building block and dwelling. The characteristics of and problems in the Dutch postwar neighbourhood and the possibilities for transformation are described through analysed literature. The research identifies strategies for renovating and repurposing existing housing stock, as well as incorporating new construction to meet the housing needs of the elderly population.

Overall, this research contributes to the construction of ageing-friendly living environments, improves housing conditions for the elderly in the Netherlands and offers insights into the transformation of the postwar neighbourhoods. To create an ageing-friendly living environment in postwar neighbourhoods, the most important topics need to be addressed on the basis of implementing the guidelines and therefore transformation in the postwar neighbourhood is necessary. Many homes, especially those designed for families, lack wheelchair accessibility and elevators. The green surroundings of postwar neighbourhoods can encourage elderly to spend time outdoors. So, making better use of this rich green and water structure is recommended. For the transformation of postwar neighbourhoods four categories of interventions are possible: splitting and expanding of existing dwellings, surgical interventions to make use of unused space, restructuring by demolishing and building new and building at the edges of the neighbourhoods where infrastructure becomes available due to the expecting reducing use of cars. Family houses and apartments can be split into multiple houses and residential buildings could be renovated, to expand, improve the look, improve sustainability, upgrade the plinth by adding other functions and make houses ageing-friendly by adding for example elevator access and renovating bathrooms. Hereby, the guidelines for an ageing-friendly living environment have to be implemented. Considering the shrinking households and the prevalence of elderly individuals living alone, transformation strategies should focus on densification with diversity in housing types, diverse residents, mixed-use and the creation of a sense of community.