6.2.2 INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING/LIVING

6.2.2 INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING/LIVING:

Since the dawn of time, intergenerational learning has been used as a teaching tool. This tool aids in transferring knowledge, skills, competencies, values, and norms between generations. The elders/ grandparents are valued for their role of passing down their wisdom, which keeps the new generations grounded in their history and culture by providing them with a link to the past (Newman, et al., 2008).

By incorporating the children, one also indirectly incorporates the parents of the children into the retirement community, which adds another layer of connection. This additional layer of connection adds more density and diversity found in and throughout the retirement community. As stated in A Pattern Language (Alexander, et al., 1977, pp. 216-217), encouraging interaction between the elderly and younger people can close the segregation rift between the two demographics, and the elderly and young people can be connected to and through their various cultures and pasts. This connection will ensure that cultures and histories are no longer lost.

FIGURE 6.4: Eyes On The Streets.

06: CONCEPT AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT