Kathryn Greiner, who chairs the NSW inquiry into retirement villages, has recommended the concept of integrating designated seniors living apartments in medium or high-rise residential developments where people of all ages in the community can live.

She gave the example of The Humanitas Deventer retirement village in the Netherlands where university students have access to free retirement village accommodation if they visit and interact with their older neighbours. This concept has been lauded as a good example of intergenerational living.

David Lane, ThomsonAdsett Architects’ director of seniors living, agreed that high-rise retirement living would become increasingly common.

About 184,000 Australians live in retirement villages and this number is expected to rise to 382,000 people in 2025, Retirement Living Council numbers show.