Re-use of vacant office buildings for senior homes —- Opportunities and research
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Last Updated: 8-2018
The housing of the aging population in the Netherlands is a concern for now and for the future. At the same time, there are concerns with structurally vacant office buildings at the edge of the city despite the economic growth. To approach both problems, vacant office buildings at the edge of the city can be transformed into dwellings for the aging population. However, the knowledge about housing preferences of the aging population related to living in transformed office buildings is limited. This research intends to gain insight in the housing preferences of the aging population and investigate whether a transformed office building at the city can meet these preferences. The first part of the research consisted of collecting data of existing research in order to determine the housing preferences of the aging population. The results of the first part were used in the design of the stated choice experiment. A survey containing a stated choice experiment was used in this research. The data collected in the survey was analysed by means of both a Multinomial Logit (MNL) Model and a Latent Class (LC) model. The results of the LC model show two groups of (future) elderly. One group rejects living in a transformed office building at the edge of the city while a second group is attracted to it. The attributes needed to attract the second group are part of the results. These results provide municipalities, building owners, developers and other actors with insight into the potential of a successful transformation of a vacant office building into dwellings for (future) elderly. Therefore, the results can support actors with the decision-making process in the initiative phase of finding new destinations for vacant office buildings at the edge of the city.