Loneliness and social isolation of older adults are serious problems affecting a significant number of people in the UK. Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher physical and mental illness risks. Concurrently, UK’s childcare system is leaving working parents financially crippled as they confront the increasingly more complex challenge of enhancing children’s social interaction and cognitive performance. This study aims to propose an intergenerational model that develops a spatial pattern to enhance children’s social interaction and cognitive performance and solves the problems of loneliness and social isolation for the elderly. This is done by integrating urban sociology and urban policy to propose an integrated urban community that would socially impact human interactions and develop a transformation for the compact city of London’s urban growth. In the first part, I start with a theoretical investigation of the research problems and their consequences. Then, I draw on existing literature and investigate empirical evidence on intergenerational programs’ impact on the target groups. In the second part, I explain the spatial aspects and their impact on users. In the third part, I evaluate existing and provisional inputs for urban planning and policymaking and explore the opportunity for future provision. I then develop a framework that focuses on the ‘physical form’ and the ‘social impact’ within the city of London, which helps evaluate the impact of ‘intergenerational living’ as a potential solution for the imminent tremendous socio-demographic changes in the UK. The chapter discusses how integrated communities can help the compact city principle and could improve the urban development of a highly dense city. In the Fieldwork, I test the theoretical framework through questionnaires to primary users of the space and interviews with experts. Additionally, the study analyzes the London borough of Barnet as a potential site for planning and implementation of the project. The results of the study show that creating an intergenerational model can enhance children’s and older adults’ social interaction and cognitive performance. Also, planning integrated communities can help reduce loneliness and social isolation for older adults. I conclude that the intergenerational model can improve children’s academic performance, knowledge, and language development. Considering the rapidly ageing population problem in the UK, space-efficient households in an integrated community can help fix the housing demand problem in the coming years. Similarly, increasing supply of childcare and early year services can mitigate availability and affordability problems. The findings of the study lay the groundwork for new perspectives on planning and policy directions toward inclusive mixed-use land policies that help the compact city’s land density and urban growth while having a positive impact on its inhabitants.
La solitudine e l’isolamento sociale degli adulti anziani sono problemi che riguardano un numero significativo di persone in UK. La ricerca ha collegato l’isolamento sociale e la solitudine a rischi più alti di malattia fisica e mentale. Allo stesso tempo, i servizi per l’infanzia in UK lasciano i genitori paralizzati dal punto di vista finanziario mentre affrontano sfide sempre più crescenti in termini di investimento nelle relazioni sociali e nelle performance cognitive dei figli. Il presente studio ha l’obiettivo di proporre un modello intergenerazionale che sviluppi un modello spaziale per stimolare le interazioni sociali dei bambini, le loro performance cognitive e allo stesso tempo per risolvere i problemi di solitudine e di isolamento sociale che affrontano molti anziani. Tale obiettivo è perseguito integrando la sociologia urbano con lo studio delle politiche urbane per proporre una comunità integrata urbana che abbia un impatto sulle interazioni sociali e sviluppi un modello di trasformazione per la crescita urbana della città compatta di Londra. Nella prima parte, il lavoro si basa sulla letteratura esistente e sulle evidenze empiriche sull’ impatto dei programmi intergenerazionali sui gruppi target. Nella seconda parte, la tesi spiega gli aspetti spaziali e il loro impatto sui beneficiari. La terza parte valuta gli input esistenti e provvisori per la pianificazione urbana e la costruzione di politiche, ed esplora le opportunità future. Dopo di che, sviluppa uno schema che si focalizza sulla “forma fisica” e l’ “impatto sociale” nella città di Londra, che aiuta a valutare l’impatto del “vivere intergenerazionale” come una potenziale soluzione per gli imminenti cambiamenti socio-demografici. Il capitolo discute come le comunità integrate possono favorire il principio della città compatta e possono migliorare lo sviluppo di una città molto densa. Nel capitolo chiamato “Fieldwork”, lo schema teorico viene testato attraverso questionari ai beneficiari degli spazi stessi e attraverso interviste con esperti. In più lo studio analizza il distretto di London di Barnet come un sito potenziale per la pianificazione e l’implementazione del progetto. I risultati dello studio mostrano che creare un modello intergenerazionale può agevolare l’interazione e la performance cognitiva di bambini e anziani. Inoltre, pianificare comunità integrate può aiutare a ridurre la solitudine e l’isolamento sociale per gli anziani. Lo studio conclude che il modello intergenerazionale può migliorare la performance accademica dei bambini, la conoscenza e lo sviluppo del linguaggio. Considerando il rapido invecchiamento della popolazione in UK, le comunità integrate possono contribuire a risolvere il problema di domanda di abitazioni che si concretizzerà negli anni futuri. Allo stesso modo, aumentare l’offerta di servizi per i bambini può mitigare i problemi di copertura e di accesso. I risultati dello studio gettano le basi per una nuova prospettiva rispetto alla pianificazione e alle politiche verso un uso misto e inclusivo del patrimonio immobiliare e terriero che aiuti la città compatta nella sua crescita avendo allo stesso tempo un impatto positivo sui suoi abitanti.
A preschool inside an older adult residential community. Future directions towards intergenerational living in the city of London
Arafa, Haya Mohsen Mohamed
2021/2022
Abstract
Loneliness and social isolation of older adults are serious problems affecting a significant number of people in the UK. Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher physical and mental illness risks. Concurrently, UK’s childcare system is leaving working parents financially crippled as they confront the increasingly more complex challenge of enhancing children’s social interaction and cognitive performance. This study aims to propose an intergenerational model that develops a spatial pattern to enhance children’s social interaction and cognitive performance and solves the problems of loneliness and social isolation for the elderly. This is done by integrating urban sociology and urban policy to propose an integrated urban community that would socially impact human interactions and develop a transformation for the compact city of London’s urban growth. In the first part, I start with a theoretical investigation of the research problems and their consequences. Then, I draw on existing literature and investigate empirical evidence on intergenerational programs’ impact on the target groups. In the second part, I explain the spatial aspects and their impact on users. In the third part, I evaluate existing and provisional inputs for urban planning and policymaking and explore the opportunity for future provision. I then develop a framework that focuses on the ‘physical form’ and the ‘social impact’ within the city of London, which helps evaluate the impact of ‘intergenerational living’ as a potential solution for the imminent tremendous socio-demographic changes in the UK. The chapter discusses how integrated communities can help the compact city principle and could improve the urban development of a highly dense city. In the Fieldwork, I test the theoretical framework through questionnaires to primary users of the space and interviews with experts. Additionally, the study analyzes the London borough of Barnet as a potential site for planning and implementation of the project. The results of the study show that creating an intergenerational model can enhance children’s and older adults’ social interaction and cognitive performance. Also, planning integrated communities can help reduce loneliness and social isolation for older adults. I conclude that the intergenerational model can improve children’s academic performance, knowledge, and language development. Considering the rapidly ageing population problem in the UK, space-efficient households in an integrated community can help fix the housing demand problem in the coming years. Similarly, increasing supply of childcare and early year services can mitigate availability and affordability problems. The findings of the study lay the groundwork for new perspectives on planning and policy directions toward inclusive mixed-use land policies that help the compact city’s land density and urban growth while having a positive impact on its inhabitants.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Descrizione: A preschool inside an older adult residential community. Future directions towards intergenerational living in the city of London.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/189683