Comparison of Preferred Features in Spatial Composition for Shared Housing between Rural and Urban Elderly

Shared housing for elderly people, where several elderly people live together, gains attention as a means to prevent the lonely death of elderly people and continuously maintain their social relations. The purpose of this study is to compare the characteristics planned through rural and urban areas-residing elderly people’s participation in the shared housing spatial composition by area. This study conducted a small scale workshop panel method that targeted small group, but through which extensive information can be acquired, as a qualitative method. This study targeted 16 elderly people aged 65 and over living in rented apartments in rural and urban areas by dividing them two groups by area, namely into four groups. A total of 12 workshop sessions were held with three sessions at a time through a certain time interval. As a result of the study, the elderly people showed positive responses to the shared housing, irrelevant of area. As time went on, the workshop panel method’s effect was revealed through consolidated positive attitude and agreement of different opinions. The shared housing for elderly people is valuable as a residential alternative for elderly people, and differentiated supply of the shared housing for elderly people, according to residential area’s characteristics, is suggested.