The academic discourse on post-Second World War (post-WW2) multifamily housing complexes has mostly focused on their negative aspects, related, especially, to their high population densities, poor quality of construction and social problems, due to the dominance of low-income residents. In reaction to these and other negative characteristics, alternative multifamily housing types started to emerge, first in Western European countries in the 1970s, and later in Eastern European countries, following the adoption of the market economy system at the beginning of the 1990s. The transformation that has occurred in mass housing types has been particularly distinct in Eastern European countries. Motivated by the lack of focused analyses of the important characteristics of these transformations, this article adopts a rare approach to the mass housing debate by focusing on examining the merits of post-WW2 large housing estates as compared to those of the post-socialist era. With a focus on Slovenia as a case study, a comparative analysis is performed by conducting a detailed review of the literature and other relevant sources. The comparative analysis shows that post-socialist multifamily housing types have many advantages over the post-WW2 housing estates, a finding that leads us to deduce that the transformations in mass housing typologies that have occurred in Slovenia (and other Eastern European countries) may have serious implications on the future of large housing estates. It is thus suggested in the conclusion that suitable regeneration policies need to be urgently implemented in post-WW2 housing estates in order to create more attractive living environments and prevent the potential degradation of these neighborhoods, which would, in turn, result in spatial residential segregation with concentrations of low-income households in post-WW2 housing estates.

Despite the development of various housing options across Europe, older people often face the choice of staying at home with the support of family and/or formal services or moving to a care home, but how people vary regarding these preferences and how newer cohorts will be different is under-researched. This study explores the housing choices of older people under the condition of liminality, which is defined as the hypothetical condition of high care needs. The most common choices available are compared; that is, staying at home (with social home-care support or visits to a daycare centre) or moving to supported housing or a care home. Cluster analysis revealed five distinct groups of older people that were differentiated in their choices between various options of moving versus staying at home, either by using home care or daycare. Differences between the clusters along three dimensions that influence decisions to move or stay, namely levels of attachment, satisfaction with housing and availability of support, which often function as limits on the options that are preferred, were explored. The results present the complexity of the decision-making process under imagined conditions of liminality and show a great diversity among people’s preferences. They also indicate that a significant share of older people have a strong preference for only one option (two of the cluster groups).

As a reaction to the critical writings of urban sociologists regarding the quality of post-Second World War large housing estates (monotonous architectural design, cheap/poor quality building materials, high building density, minimum dwelling sizes, overcrowding, etc.), fewer problematic types of mass housing neighbourhoods started to emerge, first in Western European countries in the 1970s, and later in Eastern European countries after they abandoned the planned economy system of the communist era and adopted the market economy system. One of the major concerns often raised in this regard is that, due to a variety of negative aspects associated with post-WWII housing estates, these neighbourhoods may eventually end up as concentrations of low-income households, after the more affluent residents relocate to the more attractive, less problematic residential neighbourhoods. Such developments are, understandably, undesirable. This concern inherently assumes that the inhabitants of post-WWII housing estates are not satisfied with their housing and are, as a result, expected to move away, as soon as they can. This hypothesis presents the focus of discussion in this paper. We examine its validity with the help of the findings of a comparative study between post-WII large housing estates and post-socialist multifamily residential neighbourhoods that was conducted in Slovenia in 2021. Contrary to the hypothetical assumptions, our analyses of the research results reveal that the inhabitants of post-WWII large housing estates are (a) generally quite satisfied with their dwellings and residential neighbourhood and that (b) a large majority of them have no intention to move. Understanding people’s satisfaction with their housing circumstances requires a complex analysis of their attitudes that goes beyond surface-level observations and encompasses a broader range of psychological and social influences on housing choices, suggesting the need to incorporate these aspects into future research. The consideration of these aspects is essential in order to ensure the longer-term sustainability of post-WWII large housing estates.

Various studies have identified that older adults' assessment of their housing quality differs from that deemed as good-quality housing by housing professionals. This has prompted the need to advance academic discourse beyond simply reporting high levels of satisfaction in older adult's housing surveys. This study attempts to achieve this by using empirical data gathered through a mixed quantitative and qualitative research approach conducted with older adults in Slovenia. While the quantitative survey revealed generally high levels of satisfaction, the qualitative face-to-face interviews revealed numerous deficiencies, irrespective of whether older adults tended to express satisfaction with their dwellings. Therefore, our findings suggest that attributes such as ownership, period of residence, and neighborhood relations are far more important in determining housing satisfaction. Thus, we conclude that policies and programs for modifying housing for older adults must be based on a deeper understanding of their specific needs. During the policy formulation process and the implementation of specific housing improvement programs, emphasis should be placed on the social-historical aspects related to the lifestyle of each specific older adult.

The rights of persons with disabilities to barrier-free access and equal opportunities are guaranteed by numerous documents at the international and national levels, but various studies and daily experience show that these legal provisions have not always been implemented in practice. Persons with disabilities continue to experience numerous barriers in the urban environment. This situation shows that current approaches to eliminating environmental barriers are inadequate and that there is an urgent need to search for alternative, more effective solutions. This article presents such a novel solution, premised on the hypothesis that significant progress in this area will be achieved only through restructuring the roles of the major stakeholders. I am thus proposing a reversal of roles, suggesting the introduction of a bottom-up approach as opposed to the current ineffective top-down approaches. In order to facilitate such a bottom-up approach an interactive internet portal have been designed that is presented and described in this article as a “web forum”. Based on a thorough review of the literature on the notion of “social innovation”, it is argued that the suggested new approach is a social innovation, an attribute that qualifies it as an effective mechanism that will lead to eventually achieving barrier-free environments and consequently eliminating discrimination against persons with disabilities in the living environment