Penn State University releases Intergenerational Contact Zones: A Compendium of Applications, which features "Culture as Animator of Intergenerational Gathering Places," a chapter written by Partners' President Robert McNulty. 

One of the driving question behind the publication is: How do we create great settings for intergenerational engagement? The compendium draws attention to the concept of "intergenerational contact zones" and its significance for creating livable, inclusive, and relationship-focused community settings for people of generations.

The "Culture as Animator of Intergenerational Gathering Places" chapter highlights the value of arts and cultural institutions for intergenerational gathering places. Success depends not only on their specific design, but also on how they "animate" diverse gatherings of young and old to associate and mingle. Through this programming, they become "civic glue" and reward any location.

Each of the compendium's 13 chapters highlight a specific application of Intergenerational Contact Zones (ICZs). The focus is on creating community settings that welcome age- and generation- diverse populations, provide opportunities for meaningful intergenerational engagement, and, in some ways, enrich community life.

Click here to read or download Intergenerational Contact Zones: A Compendium of Applications.

Featured topics, chapters, and contributors include:

Recreation:

• Community Centres as Intergenerational Contact Zones (Alan Hatton-Yeo & Julie Melville)
• Intergenerational Gatherings among the Water and Willows (Patricia O'Neill)
• A Portuguese City Park as a Potential Intergenerational Contact Zone (Claudia Azevedo)

Culture:

• Castles as Intergenerational Contact Zones: Embracing the Challenge of Restoration and the Adaptive Reuse of Abandoned Castles (Thomas Quinlan)
• Culture as Animator of Intergenerational Gathering Places (Robert McNulty)

Education:

• Intergenerational Reading Rooms: Lessons Learned from The Intergenerational School (Catherine Whitehouse, Peter Whitehouse, and Mariano Sanchez)
• University Research Spaces as Intergenerational Contact Zones: Opportunities and Challenges (Thomas Scharf)

Transportation:

• Can Urban Streets and Spaces be Intergenerational Cycling Zones? (Ben Spencer & Tim Jones)
• Imagining a Bus Stop as an Intergenerational Contact Zone: Enlivening Everyday Spaces and Playing with Perspective (Jason Danely)

Residential:

• Beyond Contact - Intergenerational Living in Cohousing Communities (Lisia Zheng)

Virtual environments:

• Online Gaming Platforms as Intergenerational Contact Zones (Eyu Zang & Leng Leng Thang)

Shopping:

• Let's Go Shopping Together: Supermarkets as Potential Intergenerational Contact Zones (Leng Leng Thang, Lee Wee Honf, Zheng Hao Tan, William Henry Taslim, & Zi Heng Wong)

For more information on the Penn State Intergenerational Program, contact:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Ph.D., Professor, Intergenerational Programs and Aging
Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education
Penn State University