MeGeWoPo: Multi-Generational Living in the district Platte

Against the backdrop of demographic change and changes in family care structures as well as the differentiation of lifestyles, the BMBF-funded research project "Multigenerational living in the panel - community and intergenerational knowledge and technology transfer for a self-determined lifestyle in old age" used participatory research methods to examine the community and support dynamics in self-organised multigenerational housing projects and two model projects for multigenerational living run by municipal housing associations. Multi-generational housing projects were empirically analysed as an innovative solution for self-determined living and housing in old age.
Guiding research questions

How do substantial communities come about in multi-generational housing projects?
What practices for organising intergenerational cohabitation and mutual social support can be identified?
How can independent living and care structures in old age be promoted through community?

Aims of the research project

Gathering experience from self-organised multi-generational housing projects through participatory research
Realisation of two model projects in cooperation with municipal housing associations in Potsdam and Frankfurt/Oder 
Development of guidelines for successful practice in multi-generational housing projects

The empirical approach was based on a participatory research approach. In a first step, experiences of neighbourly social organisation and self-help were developed through scientific accompanying research of three self-organised multi-generational housing projects. In a second step, a series of participatory research development workshops were carried out together with residents of two prefabricated apartment blocks. The self-empowering neighbourhood communication and action structures have been sustainably consolidated. Building on this, findings on successful support structures in self-organised multi-generational housing projects were scientifically processed and theoretically generalised.

The research results were made available to a broad civil society audience as well as experts in politics and business in the form of scientific publications, two guidelines on multi-generational housing and several conferences and lectures.

Documents

Multigenerational living for rent: Guidelines for a forward-looking form of housing in municipal housing developments -> https://www.fh-potsdam.de/media/1438/download?inline
Multigenerational living: A guide to community and living together in solidarity -> https://www.fh-potsdam.de/media/1440/download?inline

Research results

Publications

Thomas, Stefan; Scheller, David; Ehmann, Tanja (in preparation): Substantial communities - self-organisation and common good in multigenerational housing projects. Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag.
Thomas, Stefan; Scheller, David; Ehmann, Tanja; Schröder, Susan (2020): Multigenerational living: A guide to community and living together in solidarity, Norderstedt: BoD. 
Thomas, Stefan; Ehmann, Tanja; Scheller, David; Schröder, Susan (2020): Multigenerational living for rent: A guide to a forward-looking form of housing, Norderstedt: BoD.
Ludwig, Elke (2019): Corridor with a view. How do you build a good neighbourhood? In: German architectural journal. At: www.dabonline.de/2019/05/30/flur-mit-ausblick-nachbarschaft-psychologie/
Thomas, Stefan; Schröder, Susan; Scheller, David (2018): Citizen science as research-based learning. Participatory research with residents from multigenerational housing projects. In: Eck, Sandra (ed.): Research-based learning - learning research. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa, pp. 103-117. 
Thomas, Stefan; Schröder, Susan; Scheller, David (2018): Citizen Social Science - The Research Forum as a participatory research methodology. In: Eck, Sandra (ed.): Research-based learning - learning research. Weinheim: Beltz-Juventa. (in print) 
Schröder, Susan; Scheller, David (2017): Secured care and caring security in community. Multi-generational housing projects as a new form of urban reproduction?, In: sub\urban, Volume 5, Issue 3, 23-42.

Lectures

8/2019 Tanja Ehmann "Community in Multi-generational Co-housing projects- Who and what belongs to whom and when?" Panel, RN37: Urban Sociology, ESA Conference 2019: "Europe and Beyond: Boundaries, Barriers and Belonging" Manchester, UK
6/2019 Stefan Thomas "How will young and old live under one roof in the future?" Potsdam minds at the Potsdam Education Forum (WIS), Potsdam -> https://www.wis-potsdam.de/de/prowissen-potsdam-ev/leben-jung-und-alt-z…
07/2018 "Communities Of Solidarity. Searching for Social Commitment In An Individualised World", Panel, XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology "Power, Violence and Justice: Reflections, Responses and Responsibilities", International Sociological Association, Toronto, Canada 
09/2017 Susan Schröder "Multigenerational living. Diversity of concepts of age in living in intergenerational communities", Session: Engagement and Generations, Annual Conference of the German Society for Gerontology and Geriatrics: "Heterogeneity of Age(ing)", Fulda University of Applied Sciences 
08/2017 David Scheller "Multigenerational (co)housing between urban governance and self-empowerment: Intergenerational community building and solidarity", Panel, RN37: Urban Sociology, "(Un)making the city: Urban exclusions, solidarities and sociabilities",ESA Conference 2017: "(Un)Making Europe: Capitalism, Solidarities, Subjectivities", Pantheon University, Athens, Greece 
08/2017 Susan Schröder "Multigenerational Cohousing Communites as Elective Affinity Networks", Panel, RN13: Sociology of Families and Intimate Lives, "Intergenerational Relationships and Kinshipnetworks", ESA Conference 2017: "(Un)Making Europe: Capitalism, Solidarities, Subjectivities", Pantheon University, Athens, Greece 
08/2017 Stefan Thomas "The Research Forum as a Conceptual Frame for Social Self-Clarification in Participatory Research", Panel, RN20: Qualitative Methods, "Participation and Observation", ESA Conference 2017: "(Un)Making Europe: Capitalism, Solidarities, Subjectivities", Pantheon University, Athens, Greece Events 
07/2018 "Communities Of Solidarity. Searching for Social Commitment In An Individualised World", Panel, XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology "Power, Violence and Justice: Reflections, Responses and Responsibilities", International Sociological Association, Toronto, Canada 
03/2018 "Solidary Communities, Wellbeing and Health", Expert Forum, Public Health Congress Poverty and Health 2018 "Together. Just. Healthy.", TU Berlin 
06/2017 "Then let's do it ourselves: (Self-)organisation of multi-generational living in the Platte", workshop at the annual conference of the Gesellschaft für Gemeindepsychologische Forschung und Praxis (GGFP), "Schönes Leben - miese Stimmung. Community psychological positions", Berlin 
10/2016 "Mehrgenerationenwohnen: Selbstorganisation von Gemeinschaft und Intergenerationalität", symposium, Social and Educational Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam Research papers Susan Schröder "Fürsorge im selbstorganisierten Mehrgenerationenwohnen - Eine intersektionale Analyse alltäglicher Praxen" (PhD, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam)

Final theses

Jonas Bothe "Providing decent elderly care in a neoliberal care system. An analysis of counter-neoliberal daycare approaches" (Master's thesis, University of Leipzig) 
Elke Ludwig-Czech "Spaces of encounter. In which places do residents of the Pablo Neruda Block make their neighbourly contacts?" (Bachelor's degree thesis, University of Hagen)