The Communities Redefining How We Live Together

Why social infrastructure matters as much as the buildings we design

Savannah Fishel shares insights from 54 intergenerational communal living communities across the US and Australia, showing how housing can act as social infrastructure. These communities thrive not because they avoid tension, but because they design for belonging: shared walkways, communal laundries, gardens and everyday bump-ins that build trust over time.

Savannah explains the 7 P’s of conflict that show up repeatedly in communal living:

·      Pets

·      Parenting

·      Power & privilege

·      Partners

·      Possessions & privacy

·      Purpose & principles

·      Participation.

Successful communities navigate these openly, building resilience rather than letting issues escalate in silence.

She also sets out the UK’s 10 opportunities for action, drawn from her report Beyond the White Picket Fence:

1.        integrating intergenerational design;

2.        investing in pilots

3.        tackling regulatory barriers

4.        repurposing unused spaces

5.        improving impact capture

6.        prioritising affordability

7.        strengthening intermediaries

8.        deepening cross-sector collaboration

9.        reviving loneliness in policy

10.  shifting cultural narratives around home

Savannah’s report: https://www.housinglin.org.uk/Topics/type/Beyond-the-White-Picket-Fence-A-companion-for-intergenerational-communal-housing/

Project resources: : https://www.thinkitforward.net

Bridge Meadows example: https://bridgemeadows.org

Practical steps for housing providers

1.        Build intergenerational and social-connection principles into new-build briefs.

2.        Test communal or intergenerational pilots using unused or under-used assets.

3.        Capture social value linked to belonging, not only compliance.

4.        Partner with health, ageing and loneliness leads to unlock the 10 opportunities.

5.        Review estate layouts for simple bump-in design changes that reduce isolation.