2. Reflection Post 3

http://www.agingwellmag.com/news/exclusive_0409_01.shtml
This is a link to an article which clearly illustrates the benefits of inter generational social interactions the summary is below:

Intergenerational Programming: A Two-Way Street
By AaronWeintraub, MS

• longer life-span expectations requires new ways for older people to stay active
• Benefits of  inter generational programs have global significance 
• They strengthen the "capacity of communities, families, and individuals in diverse areas such as cultural transmission, HIV prevention, literacy, dementia care, social engagement, emotional development, service learning, and human rights". 
• Purposes include: community service, to a shared-site program offering concurrent child care and adult day services.  
• Activities:  cooking, art, games, and shared reading
• Benefits: adults enjoy planning activities, writing notes to the neighbors, creating poetry and stories with the children, teaching new skills, sharing stories, and being the adult who helps a child draw, read, and play.

An example of a shared site intergenerational program is Neighbors Growing Together, a Blacksburg, VA, partnership between the Virginia Tech Adult Day Services and Child Development Center for Learning and Research. The Adult Day Services provides activities, care, and supervision daily to approximately 18 adults aged 65 and older with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The Child Development Center for Learning and Research provides year-round, full-day care for 41 children aged 15 months to 5 years. Elders and children meet for planned activities for 30 minutes three times a week, and the staff encourages spontaneous visits as well.



Benefits to Older Adults

• Cognitive, physical, and emotional well-being of the older adults
• Reason to staying active
• Feeling of being needed and useful is key to healthy self-esteem. 
• Maintain everyday memory function in older adults. With increased longevity comes a corresponding risk of physical and cognitive impairments.

Many families have turned to formal care networks,  to supplement care provided in the home which struggle to provide meaningful opportunities for social interaction for their participants. Researchers have found that older adults with dementia can still serve as effective mentors and teachers to children in an appropriately structured setting.

Physical limitations as a result of aging limit the quality and frequency of social interaction, raising the risk of social isolation. Intergenerational programming increases opportunities for social interaction, reduces the risk of social isolation, and promotes well-being.

Short-term benefits of fitness through sports and exercise programs include a positive impact on hypertension, osteoporosis, general well-being, self-image, self-esteem, psychological mood, muscular strength, endurance, and social integration.

The inter generational paradigm is the ability to meet the developmental needs of older adults and children at the same time with little or no added cost.

Older Adults in Service to Children

•  Positive effect on classroom behavior and significantly improved academic performance. 
• Children at risk for academic failure appeared significantly less anxious, more interested, and participated more during an inter generational visiting program with older adults. 
• Significant impact on children’s attitudes about older adults and their own aging process.

• Institutional age segregation can lead to negative stereotypes between old and young peple. 
• When old and young people come together in situations that recognize the contributions of each, it can foster positive attitudes , reduce negative stereotypes and raise awareness in children and youth about their own aging process.

Greater than the Sum of its Parts

• Strengthens families and communities. 
• Foster social support, generate community improvements, and help create a sense of cultural cohesion. 
• Volunteer time is currently estimated at $18.77 per hour. When older adults work to engage young people in volunteering and service-learning activities, students, schools, employers, and communities all benefit. Students who volunteer are more likely to stay motivated and connected to their schools and are less likely to engage in risky behaviors or drop out of school. Youth engaged in service projects learn skills required by employers, such as teamwork and collaboration, critical thinking, effective communication, and work ethic
• Cross-cultural dialogue strengthens ties within and between communities through artistic expression 
• The ability to express oneself artistically spans the entire life course.

The developmental needs of older adults to pass on a lifetime of accumulated experience and children’s need to socially construct knowledge dovetail in intergenerational programs to create an environment rich with opportunity for cultural transmission, personal growth, and creativity.
—Aaron Weintraub, MS, a doctoral candidate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute who is studying the effects of intergenerational programming on older adults, is a freelance writer in Blacksburg, VA.

2. Project Development Post 3

Scans of process

 Paddington Central Site Map

Anaylsis

Greenery- green

Residential- grey

Commercial- brown

Sites of future development

A residential tower was determined to be likely to take over the carpet place on the corner due to city views and accessibility. It would also be highly useful for my community center, especially if it had provisions for a variety of generations and mobility levels.

Using floor plans from the property managers site which was not oriented or to scale I worked out the rough layout of each floor.

Existing Level 1

Existing Ground Floor

Existing Basement Level

Designs for new concept

Roof- cafe, kids play area, relaxation and yoga space, sport field

Level 1-  small shop pods, demonstration areas

Ground Floor- Childcare, Restaurant, fixed food market which can expand out, information booth, post office, medical center and open stall area surrounding the atrium. 

Basement- Micro Cinema/ hall/ theater, bar, cafe, skill center and three skylights

Overall sketch idea 

2. Reflection Post 2

POSSIBLE FUTURE RETAIL TECHNOLOGIES
Despite the huge leaps in technology in the last 100 years very little has been achieved in terms of flexible displays, from big screen tv's to portable handheld devices improvements in technology have been rigid. Below are some other possibilities in future technologies.

http://media.johnwiley.com.au/product_data/excerpt/86/04708704/0470870486.pdf

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/media-network-blog/2012/may/22/retail-technology-disruption-consumer-buying

"...five main stages that customers go through when purchasing a product: recognition of a need, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post-purchase evaluation. The effect of mobile, digital and social media can easily be seen at every stage (Mazher Abidi ). "

"No retailer can ignore the fact their customers live in an integrated online/offline world ..."

http://www.retail-week.com/technology/new-directions-in-retail-technology/5037924.article

Integrating mobile technology with shopping is essential to promoting growth but it should not be static like the example above. In Paddington central QR codes will be applied to physical products so they can be scanned and delivered to consumers home or alternatively the product can be taken from the store and the QR code will register as it leaves the store and be billed to the consumer automatically.

 http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224108

Increasing foot traffic was one of the key strategies identified to increase the strength of retail at Paddington central

MARKET PLACES OF THE WORLD - WHY PHYSICAL RETAIL WILL SURVIVE

http://www.hotelclub.com/blog/6-of-the-most-exotic-markets-in-the-world/

 These markets are examples of thriving market environments which are vibrant as they contain either a unique experience or unique product or both. Human interactions are still the driving force behind these interactions rather than the static, artificial marketing that dominate modern western shopping centers.  For project two I think its vital to go back to the human scale interactions to recreate the social dynamic that thrives in these places but in a way that makes the most of modern technology and holistically integrates the global economy.