ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses the risks and challenges that post-war single-family home areas face in the coming decade. It describes the ageing housing stock in the context of demographic change and the adverse effects of a suburban setting. During the period of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), private residential development was strictly limited. In response, the national government launched a 2.5 billion Euro programme to reconfigure urban structures which took place between 2002 and 2009. As in many rural areas of Baden-Wrttemberg, a future mismatch between the amounts of housing that is available in the suburban settings of the post-war era and declining demand is clearly evident. Faller suggests an alternative option, where new housing for the elderly within residential areas is developed. The slow death of suburban or rural single-family home areas is particularly problematic for municipalities, as population decline implies a loss of tax revenue.
