Seamlessly Integrating New Affordable Housing into a Neighborhood Community

Previous Quad research conducted for Innovations in Aging has catalyzed a new real estate development near downtown Colorado Springs. Almost 300 units of attainable housing will be built in the coming months. How can this development be more than a “cookie cutter” addition to an already-thriving neighborhood? How can the social narrative of the project be activated in a way that improves quality of life, access to opportunity, and overall vitality for residents, visitors and stakeholders alike? How can lofty statements like “Here, residents and visitors of all ages, stages and means belong.” or “We sit on porches, talk to our neighborhoods and host visitors from all over” not be lost as merely a sales pitch, but translated into a sustainable reality?

Results: Research identified 7 dimensions of wellness that, when appropriately nurtured, will contribute to a lived experience matching the social narrative. Additionally, over a dozen uses and design considerations that can contribute to the wellness dimensions were identified through a scan of other, similar developments. This work is informing community engagement efforts that will yield a final design. The developer intends to break ground in September, 2020.