In Denmark, some groups of seniors combine private living quarters with a sharing of duties for maintenance and social interaction, with their government as facilitator.

It’s called co-housing, and Dr. Edward Steinfield, Director of the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access at the University of Buffalo believes it could gain traction in the U.S. as the new generation of retirees opens up to new and creative lifestyle choices. Already, an inter-generational co-housing community exists near Boulder, Colo.

“In Denmark, part of the success is due to the fact that the population is homogeneous,” says Dr. Steinfield. “But I see great interest emerging here, as well.”

Behind the interest, he explains, is the new generation’s assertiveness and drive for self-determination that has long been characteristic of the baby-boomers who started flexing their muscle in the late 1960s and the 1970s.

The way it works in Denmark, those who believe they want to be a part of a specific co-housing community meet those who are already a part of it, experience what their lives are like and decide: Do I want to be a part of this or not? “If they don’t,” says Dr. Steinfield, “they leave.”

Rather than be shaped by their environment, residents of co-housing have the opportunity to shape their surroundings.