Elderly in the post-pandemic city: a critical understanding towards a multigenerational housing strategy

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a complex debate on social and spatial inequalities, by publicly revealing and intensifying inequalities that were already there. As the pandemic unfolded, it became clear that there were higher levels of infection, hospitalisation and death especially in the older adults which were the most affected. But the higher risk of getting the virus due to being old was not the only problem they were facing. Older adults nowadays are marginalised from society, both on the outside and inside scales, being forced to go and spend the last years of their lives in pensions or asylums, which generates feelings of loneliness and isolation from society. Outside meaning risks and problems that emerged for the elderly in the post pandemic city; while inside is related to the mental and spatial inequalities that old people suffer due to being isolated in their homes or pensions. This feeling of loneliness comes because of considerable societal changes in contemporary societies, that make the naturally occurring opportunities for interaction between the generations are not as prevalent as it once used to be (Buffel, et al., 2014). Therefore, it is crucial to address loneliness both on an individual and community scale. To address this challenge, it is essential to facilitate inclusive and varied meeting places that lower the threshold for participation and natural meetings between social groups. In this sense, the development of multigenerational and intergenerational approaches towards community planning gains importance, as a mechanism for strengthening generational proximity, improving understanding and communication, and fostering a commitment to reciprocity and solidarity. The thesis questions the role of architecture and urban design by exploring the concept of multigenerational housing as a strategy facing these existing social inequalities and how those can affect the integration of the elderly.