Only Connect · 03:07:19

Frances will be talking about social inclusion and the design of ‘all-age’ friendly neighbourhoods at the Community Conference ‘Only Connect’ hosted by Falmouth University on 3 July 2019

Loneliness has been recognised as one of the greatest enemies of the older person, but this can also be ascribed to young people, who are currently reporting high levels of depression caused by social isolation. Taking this as a starting point, students of architecture at Falmouth University developed designs for intergenerational housing on two sites in Truro and Falmouth. In addition to the housing, they were asked to include communal areas that encouraged social interaction across the generations.

Frances Crow, senior lecturer in architecture at Falmouth University and tutor for the project will use the student’s ideas to expand on issues around social care and inclusion and propose a series of key design ideas that might be integrated into the future development of ‘all-age’ friendly neighbourhoods in Cornwall.

Only Connect is a one-day community symposium that will bring together representatives from the care sector, local government, researchers, students, schools, people with dementia and their carers, and members of the public, to discuss their experience and knowledge, share ideas, and take action to make Cornwall a leader in creative, intergenerational practice. Through turning our attention to internationally renowned models and discussing the local, grass roots projects in Cornwall, we will be in a better place to take positive action to enrich whole communities.