With increasing population in mega-cities coupled with increasing number of nuclear families, which are recent trends of late marriage, low fertility and value shift of elder care, the separation between generations in family is getting severe. The elderly society of Korea along with nuclear family is causing the social isolation of the elderly in the fastest manner in the world. Also the children are losing the opportunities of having sympathy formation with elderly people because of decreased contact with them. Increasing elderly population also involves the problems of employment opportunities, pension payments burdening over the elderly care, etc. Various issues were brought up and generation conflicts are going to be deepened. Therefore we should realize the problems of the separation, discontinuity, and social isolation of the elderly. Alternatives to make social integration should be suggested in the community. These are the urgent problems that we have.
As proven in the Western countries, the importance of interchanges between the generations should be recognised first. The experience and wisdoms of life should be handed down to younger generations. The community is must provide the elderly with opportunities to gain vitality of life through the interchanges with younger generation as well. Here we are going to form communication and bond of sympathy through the exchange beyond the ages and generations. In order to share talents and resources that we have, we are proposing a ‘community welfare center for multi-generations’ as a new method. Especially, nowadays, a new regulation for the community facilities in apartment complex was introduced, and it facilitates the proposed concept in the real-world projects.
Therefore, community facilities in a residential complex now can be effectively used in accordance to tenants’ needs. New facility can also be planned based on each complex’s distinct requirements in order to activate the community. And also, rarely used public facilities or spaces of the elementary, middle, high schools could be used as ‘community center for family welfare’. German multi-generation exchange center is introduced in order to use as a reference for as a practical case of the proposed concept. ‘Community welfare center for multi-generations’ could be defined as a public space of community that several households make exchange in gathering vividly and positively. With the participation of various generations, voluntary exchanges could be happened. In this way, the mutual goal of co-operating for the social network could also be expanded. Then the community could be vitalized as a healthy community to prevent the individual isolation and alienation. In this place, interchange between generations could be happened, and men and women of all community residents can make a social integration. Finally, it could be used as a place to raise the quality of lives.