Zhiyi Zhu

“You can be lonely anywhere, but there is a particular flavour to the loneliness that comes from living in a city, surrounded by millions of people. One might think this state was antithetical to urban living, to the massed presence of other human beings, and yet mere physical proximity is not enough to dispel a sense of internal isolation.”

— Olivia Laing, The Lonely City

According to the research, the two main groups which living in the middle area is mainly the elder groups and families group including some younger families move away from city and other traditional Australian families.  According to the Australian Loneliness Report 2018, one in four Australian adults are lonely, and nearly 55% of the population feel “they lack social activities at least sometimes”. And Similar to other developed cities,  in Melbourne, a pattern identified in the 25–44 age cohort is a move towards metropolitan outer fringe suburbs and to regional city areas These households are seeking more connection with community.

There is also a  significant evidence to suggest that social connections are an antidote to loneliness, where loneliness is sometimes understood as a lack of social relationships .

“Persistent loneliness can have a significant negative impact on well-being and quality of life".

My design statement for Melbourne middle ring future homes is to create intergenerational communities, where people of all ages can interact, has significant benefits to the overall wellbeing and social connectedness of local community and cities. It also helps residents sharing their hands in later life to continue to feel a valued part of their local communities. Meanwhile, In a multicultural and social context, the traditional way of life and modern high-density housing make people generally lack of mutual understanding and sense of identity. so based on a common desire for belonging, the entire housing sharing project is a "dialogue", exploring how we can create a living environment for younger families and elder groups that provides them with a sense of community and belonging, a place in which they can have many opportunities for social interaction, while at the same time maintain their sense of privacy. Re-image the community as social practice, the shared in-between space will provide opportunities to grow food and weekend market, encourage residents to participated, entertain and be close to each other and nature, Increasing cross-generational interaction and encourage a more balanced society in general.