År 2030 kommer det att finnas uppemot 500 000 fler individer över 75 års ålder jämfört med idag. Ungefär var fjärde person i åldern 75-84 år har en nedsatt rörlighet och många av dem bor i bostäder med låg tillgänglighet och anpassning för individens specifika behov. Den låga tillgängligheten bidrar till en försämrad boendesituation och kan i sin tur leda till sämre livskvalitet. Ensamhet är vanligt bland äldre och kan bidra till ökad oro, otrygghet och depressioner. Ensamheten grundar sig i en känsla hos individen av att sakna ett sammanhang där denne känner sig deltagande och upplever en gemenskap. En bostadsform där äldre möts kan återskapa denna känsla av gemensamhet och tillhörighet vilket kan bidra till ökad aktivitet och livskvalitet för individen. En bostad med högre tillgänglighet och kvalitetshöjande faktorer ger möjlighet till ett längre kvarboende för den äldre i den egna bostaden. Kvarboende bidrar till en ökad trygghet hos individen som tillåts åldras i den invanda miljön. Samhällskostnaderna förväntas minska med ökat kvarboende då kostnaderna för hemtjänst understiger kostnaderna för ett eventuellt särskilt boende för samma individ. Syftet med rapporten är att redovisa för den problematik som finns kring äldres bostadssituation och visa på möjliga förbättringsåtgärder. Målet är att visa en gestaltning av ett seniorboende med kollektiv inriktning som skapar gemenskap och trygghet för den boende. / Year 2030 there will be up to 500 000 more individuals over the age of 75 comparing to today. Approximately every fourth individual in the age of 75-84 have a reduced mobility. Many of them lives in houses with low availability and adaption to the specific needs of the individual. The low availability contributes to a decreased living situation and it can lead to impaired quality of life. Loneliness is common among elderly and can contribute to increased concern, insecurity and depression. Loneliness is often based on a feeling of missing a social context of participation and community. A form of housing were elderly meet can recreate this feeling of community and belonging which can contribute to increased activity and quality of life for the individual. A accommodation with a higher grade of availability and factors for increased quality gives a possibility for the individual to live longer in their own home. The remained living contributes to increased security for the individual who is allowed to age in a well-known environment. The social costs are expected to decrease if more individuals age in their own homes since the costs of home care are lower than the costs for retirement home for the same individual. The purpose of the report is to present the problems around elderly's housing situation and present improvements. The goal is to present the design of a senior housing with a cohousing alignment which creates communion and security for the residents.

The high prevalence of loneliness, especially among elderly and young adults, calls for measures to connect people and strengthen social support networks. Housing models that bring people together and reduce loneliness are seen as a solution. The theory implies a causal relation in which the building design can stimulate social interaction, contribute to social support, and combat loneliness. This research aims to get an insight in the way different housing models for elderly and young adults can stimulate social support and combat loneliness, by looking at social contact design principles. The research consists of six qualitative case studies spread over Sweden, the Netherlands and Austria. Among the case studies there are two nursery homes, two student accommodations and two co-housing initiatives. The data is collected within a period of five weeks, using the go-along method, in-depth interviews and diaries. The research confirms the causal relation between building design, social interactions and social support. However, it was found that loneliness must be considered separate from this. While housing models cannot combat loneliness, they can stimulate social interactions between residents that help to build a social support network. In addition, the housing situation cannot cause loneliness, but it can reinforce an already existing feeling of loneliness among residents by hindering possibilities for residents to interact and build social support networks. Based on the research findings, two policy recommendations are made. First of all, future housing models should aim to integrate students and elderly within the wider society. Second, future housing models should offer a building design and organizational structure that stimulate social interaction and social support between residents.

This paper introduces the topic of Cohousing as a solution to the chronic housing crisis and examines how it can be supported by digital platforms, and what form they should take. The theoretical concept of platforms and infrastructure is examined in general and specifically for communities along with other co-operative practices. The methodology of Research through Design (RtD) paired with recognised design methods of interviews, surveys and participatory design including workshops and co-design, employing a design process blending ideation and prototyping with each of these methods. The resulting design is a platform serving the dual functionality of marketing the Cohousing practice to wider society coupled with aggregating the infrastructural and communication needs of a cohousing group. The design works to support a highly interpersonal community-based activity through the face-to-face interaction of groups and demonstrates how the studies of platforms and infrastructure combined with research through design can support such practices.

This study is an ethnographic, single case study that examined Blueberry Hill Cohousing (BBHC), an American cohousing community, and both the processes the community uses to foster social capital among residents, and the challenges that have arisen over time within the community. Cohousing, a little-known residential planning model in the United States, centers on creating neighborhoods with abundant social capital. Research shows social capital can be an effective means to provide many benefits to individuals as they manage their daily lives. These benefits can include expanded access to economic opportunities, a lack of loneliness, and emotional support. I undertook this study in response to the significant planning discourses, which link social capital to healthy communities. In this study, I employed open-ended interviews, observations, and reflective memo-writing. I analyzed data through repeated data coding. Key findings showed activities were more critical than site design in fostering social capital. Living at BBHC did not lessen residents' daily life tasks, given residents' expected participation. Also, social capital is unevenly distributed amongst residents. Factors that influenced an individual's store of social capital included participation in activities and the ability to navigate community norms and processes. Many existing residents expressed satisfaction with the benefits they received, such as sharing child or elder care, socializing, and general social support. Others cautioned that the lack of socioeconomic and racial diversity may isolate some residents. The study offers several suggestions to facilitate creating supportive communities. These include clearly defining consensus and articulating decision-making processes; incorporating homebuyers' input early in the project development phase; rethinking common area designs; and methods to foster activities that encourage resident interaction. Future research could explore interpersonal relationships in cohousing, linkages between social capital and consensus decision-making, and comparisons between American and European cohousing communities. / Doctor of Philosophy / This study is an ethnographic, single case study that examined Blueberry Hill Cohousing (BBHC), an American cohousing community, and both the processes the community uses to foster social capital among residents, and the challenges that have arisen over time within the community. Cohousing, a little-known residential planning model in the United States, centers on creating neighborhoods with abundant social capital. Research shows social capital can be an effective means to provide many benefits to individuals as they manage their daily lives. These benefits can include expanded access to economic opportunities, a lack of loneliness, and emotional support. I undertook this study in response to the significant planning discourses, which link social capital to healthy communities. I employed open-ended interviews and observations and analyzed data through repeated data coding. Key findings showed activities were more critical than site design in fostering social capital. Living at BBHC did not lessen residents' daily life tasks, given residents' expected participation. Many existing residents expressed satisfaction with the benefits they received, such as sharing child or elder care, socializing, and general social support. Others cautioned that the lack of socioeconomic and racial diversity may isolate some residents. The study offers several suggestions to facilitate creating supportive communities. These include clearly defining decision-making processes; incorporating homebuyers' input early in the project development phase; rethinking common area designs; and methods to foster activities that encourage resident interaction. Future research could explore interpersonal relationships in cohousing, linkages between social capital and consensus decision-making, and comparisons between American and European cohousing communities.

Thesis (M.C.S.)--Regent College, 2000. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-81).

Thesis (M.C.S.)--Regent College, 2000. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-81).

Thesis (M.C.S.)--Regent College, 2000. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-81).

Subject of master thesis is urbanist-architecture study of the postindustrial site of former factory Zbrojovka Brno. The outcome of study is focused around further construction, new functional utilisation of existing buildings and novel spacial arrangement that take into the account currently under-utilised areas of the site. Study is focused on urban poly-functionality, quality of public spaces and application of sustainable urban development principles.

Society is facing a great Sustainability Challenge. The designs of our social and economic structures are creating enormous stress in our social, environmental and economic systems and across the world, citizens, businesses and governments have begun to take notice. Adopting more Sustainable Consumption behaviours have been identified as a necessary step in the move towards sustainability. This thesis explores the idea of Collaborative Consumption within the context of Cohousing in cities. Cohousing is defined as housing comprising of individual apartments or homes with shared spaces and facilities designed to create a community, oriented towards collaboration among residents and collective organisation of services. This research sought to identify key barriers and enablers for moving towards Sustainable Lifestyles and study the role of Cohousing as a catalyst for Collaborative Behaviour that triggers Collaborative Consumption leading urban communities towards Sustainable Lifestyles and ultimately towards Sustainable Development. By combining the Strategic Sustainable Development approach and Cohousing, this thesis provides a set of recommendations that could help Cohousing communities move strategically towards sustainability.

The overarching question of this dissertation is in what ways complementary currencies (CC) systems can contribute to environmental sustainability from an institutional and ecological economics perspective. More particularly, the research focuses on household energy consumption, as it is an important target for policy makers in the EU. The first three chapters focus on the emerging trend of using CC systems as top-down instruments for environmental sustainability. Our findings relate to developing a taxonomy of these systems, designing new top-down CC systems adapted to the context of energy savings in the household sector, exploring the influence of these new systems on the quality of motivation in the light of Self-Determination Theory and investigating the acceptability and effectiveness of these systems. In the fourth and last chapter of this dissertation, we approach our research question from a bottom-up angle and, using an inductive methodology, we explore how community currencies could act as an organising instrument capable of helping cohousing communities achieve their energy-efficiency potential. Finally, we conclude by highlighting our contributions regarding the structure and important features of these systems, how they can be used in an ecological economics paradigm, and how they can set rules for collective action in an institutional perspective. / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished