Abstract
From the viewpoint of dwelling style, an investigation has been made on the generational families living in urban apartments in China regarding the use and problems of living space. The results are as follows : (1) Due to the custom for a whole family to have their meals together, there are little complaints as to whether or not the respective generations have their own kitchen or dining room. In other words, there is no problem for a three-generation family to share the kitchen and dining room. (2) Due to the custom of each generation using their respective clothes-lines or drying platform, many complaints are recorded about the lack of drying space. In other words, two or more drying balconies are needed for a generational family. (3) Due to the strong sense of taking care of the family members at home, a need was voiced from many parent generations to equip the toilet with hand rails and the stairs with banisters. There is a need for three-generation families to realize the barrier-free flooring.
