Why is it important to have adaptable apartments to age with us especially nowadays?

Question

1. Where and when does the problem arise?
2. Who does the problem affect?
3. What attempts have been made to solve the problem?Has it been an issue for a long time, or is it a newly discovered problem?
4. What research has already been done about our need for adaptable living?

Answer 1

1. In my experience this issues appears in larger-scale apartment buildings, but can sometimes impact smaller unit types (2-8 unit buildings). Normally we see this happen as technology advances, building codes change, neighborhood demographics change, tenant types change.
2. This problem affects everyone from the tenant, to the owners, to the community. It's not just services, building materials or code issues. A variety of issues arise from apartments that aren't up-to-date and/or unresponsive to current tenant, climate, energy or health needs. In addition maintenance costs and upkeep can hinder improvements as well as ROI for the owner(s).
3. This has been an issue as long as there have been properties to rent. To be fair, the last few decades have seen a massive improvement in awarenesses and education for sustainable building models and strategies. Recently solutions include things like larger variety of unit choices and price points in a single property, more flexible design and construction prior to tenant occupation, state & federal incentives for adaptive and sustainable building projects as well as a friendly market for live/work & mixed-use pedestrian friendly projects.
4. A ton of research from architects, planners, social psychologists, financial analysts, tenants, medical doctors, users, owners, etc. all focused on the issue of smarter, better, more sustainable and more adaptive housing. My favorite creative pioneer, Bucky Fuller, often talked of "Spaceship Earth" and our need to move towards a sustainable an adaptive future. To this day, Sir Norman Foster is still a champion of these solutions in both the macro and micro sense.