Towards 2030, the amount of single households of 65 years and older will double to 40 percent. Due to changes in the political environment elderly can only move to a nursing home if the demand of care is high enough. Consequently, there will be a bigger group of elderly that needs to live longer independently in their urban neighborhood. In the current urban structure, there is still a lot to improve and develop to make the neighborhood a place for all generations, where people can live their whole life. As the physical range of activities and social network of elderly are becoming smaller over the years, they often experience feelings of loneliness. They will become more dependent on the availability of informal care in their near social network. The stimulation of contact with other people and especially other generations could increase the social network of the elderly. This leads to the main question of this research; what architectonic elements enhance contact among elderly and between elderly and other generations in an neighborhood in the city of Rotterdam?

The design assignment comes forward out of the result of the research of the (changing) needs of ‘city-elderly’ and the research of the elements that enhance contact within the neighborhood. The design can be seen as a case study in which a new perspective on the typology of independent elderly living is given, in combination with a program and functions that can enhance contact between generations. The design consists of a cluster of buildings within the existing city structure with a combination of living for the elderly, welfare, care and neighborhood functions.