Age-Friendly Development of a District from the 1950s – the Südstadt in Hattingen

Abstract

The central questions of the study are: Which adaptation strategies need to be taken in order to achieve integrated urban planning in German residential districts from the 1950s and to allow the elderly a self-determined and independent life within these neighborhoods, and which conceptual approaches arise in the three fields of action “dwelling”, “residential environment” and “social”. The empirical study area is Hattingen’s Südstadt, a typical district from the 1950s. Hattingen is a mid-sized city in Germany’s Ruhr region. The analysis of this neighborhood takes into account both challenges to the built structure and the residential environment as well as future social tasks. The intent is to show the responsible actors (municipalities and the housing industry) which possibilities exist to sustainably adapt the built stock in districts from the 1950s to the evolving demands of their inhabitants. Regarding changing demographic and social trends, these districts represent a housing stock that must be strengthened for the purpose of preserving the built structure and fostering development in the cores of cities.