IRC operators need to embrace resident-led placemaking

While all operators of integrated retirement communities (IRCs) focus on establishing communities and placemaking, many operators unintentionally fall into the trap of institutional thinking, curating communal activities without any real input from residents.

This top-down approach, including creating social calendars, commissioning artwork and hosting events for residents, risks creating a curated experience that feels artificial or even patronising, particularly in later living settings.

Indeed, I’d argue that it’s symptomatic of a lingering culture of treating older people as if they don’t remain independent adults, a culture which has been the norm in later living for decades and which needs to change if IRCs are to succeed in this country. According to research from the Centre for Ageing Better, 71% of people aged 65+ say they want to maintain a strong sense of autonomy as they age. Naturally they want this autonomy and sense of agency to extend to the community they live in, and they’ll vote with their feet if they feel that it’s lacking

What’s more, there is a generational change happening in later living as the baby boomers start to move into our communities. This is a generation that is tech-savvy and self-assured, which makes this top-down approach feel especially outdated.

This is not to argue against placemaking, but instead to suggest that a more authentic approach is to empower residents with space and funds and to then trust them to build their own experiences on their own terms.

At Untold Living, we believe IRC operators have a responsibility to foster a culture shift among staff from managing their community, to facilitating it. Rather than considering what we can do for residents, we should start asking them, “How can we support you to do it yourselves?”

There’s no shying away from the fact that the older generation in this country remain resistant to IRCs and we know that fear of losing independence is a key barrier to uptake of our properties. Key to overcoming this and changing perceptions of the sector has to be thriving, visible, resident-led placemaking.

This is the approach that we are taking at our developments. Instead of imposing community through prescriptive programming, we are encouraging residents to start clubs, take part in the day-to-day life of the community, and run their own events. This can range from organising their own chess club to volunteering at reception.

We believe in being “mission control”, not “command and control”. This means providing hospitality, customer service and care when needed, whilst encouraging responsibility and involvement over passive consumption of services.

At Chantry Court (a 15-year-old community that we purchased three years ago), we are making incremental but deliberate steps towards making this approach a cultural norm. For example, residents’ enthusiasm for the local boxcar racing event has led to staff and residents working together to co-design a boxcar for the 2026 race, which is both a fun project and a way to build shared purpose and connection.

Looking ahead to future developments, we want to embed this philosophy from the outset and invite residents to share their skills and knowledge and to proactively shape the community they want to live in.

Of course, there are risks and challenges that come with this approach, such as ensuring the community doesn’t become reflective of the aspirations of just a few vocal or long-established residents. However, establishing feedback channels, regularly reaching out to residents and recommendations for ‘ground rules’ around decision making, are all tools operators can use to mitigate these risks and we believe the benefits of our approach outweigh any challenges.

This approach is a deliberate philosophical strategy aimed at improving perceptions and sales, but also at making the lives of colleagues and residents more rewarding. This exercise is not a destination, but a journey and we want to make sure it is great fun along the way.