Bridging generations: critically addressing the housing crisis in Portugal

Abstract

In recent years, public policies have failed to boost the construction of affordable housing, leaving two age groups particularly vulnerable: the elderly population, increasingly isolated and in need of social and urban reintegration, and young adults, increasingly economically disadvantaged. The (shared) needs of these two age groups would benefit greatly from cohabitation. Initiatives that promote intergenerational living have proven promising, but efforts remain insufficient and unable to respond to the urgent need to increase the housing supply in large urban centers, such as Lisbon. Based on this premise, this thesis proposes encouraging multigenerational cohabitation through the development of a new architectural typology that responds to the needs of both generations. The hypothesis put forward involves a cohabitation model based on a more agile and sustainable development program, which can be easily replicated in other areas of Lisbon and other cities in the country.