International Journal of Housing Policy
2022
Emma Jo Griffith, Mirte Jepma, Federico Savini and others
The paper "Beyond collective property: a typology of collaborative housing in Europe" analyzes 100 collaborative housing projects across six European countries to establish a typology framework for understanding diverse forms of collaborative housing. The research identifies three main dimensions: architecture, institutional setup, and organization. Architectural patterns range from small to large projects with varying sharing regimes. Institutional arrangements include legal status and property rights distribution, while organizational values encompass eco-communitarian, intergenerational, and affordability-focused orientations. The study highlights the complexity of collaborative housing, challenging the notion of simplistic tenure models and demonstrating that successful initiatives can exist at various scales. This typology serves as a crucial resource for researchers and policymakers to analyze and compare collaborative housing projects, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding of their multifaceted nature and potential.
This comprehensive academic paper titled "Beyond collective property: a typology of collaborative housing in Europe" was published in September 2022 in the International Journal of Housing Policy. The authors Emma Jo Griffith, Mirte Jepma, and Federico Savini from the University of Amsterdam conducted an extensive analysis of 100 collaborative housing cases across Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Key Findings
Typology Framework The research established three main dimensions for analyzing collaborative housing:
- Architecture: Considers estate size and design of shared spaces
- Institutional Setup: Examines legal status and property rights distribution
- Organization: Analyzes values, political commitment, and management approach
Architectural Patterns
- Projects range from small (under 10 members) to extra-large (over 100 residents)
- Two main sharing regimes exist:
- Only sharing extra spaces (gardens, parking)
- Sharing both functional and essential spaces (kitchens, laundry)
Institutional Arrangements
- Legal Status: Either formally recognized or operating in trans-legal status
- Property Rights: Either dispersed across multiple entities or concentrated in one group
- Management: Ranges from self-managed to professionally managed
Organizational Values The study identified five main value orientations:
- Eco-communitarian
- Intergenerational
- Identity-based
- Affordability-focused
- Service provision
Research Context
The study emerged from the need to better understand the diversity of collaborative housing forms beyond simple private or public tenure models. The researchers conducted content analysis of project websites and social media, interviewed ten experts, and performed an in-depth case study of the 4Stelle Hotel in Rome.
Significance
This research provides the first comprehensive typology for comparing collaborative housing projects across different European contexts. It challenges simplistic assumptions about collaborative housing and demonstrates that successful projects can exist at various scales and with different combinations of features. The typology serves as a valuable tool for researchers and policymakers to understand and analyze the complexity of collaborative housing initiatives.
The study concludes that collaborative housing is more diverse and complex than previously understood, with projects showing various combinations of architectural, institutional, and organizational features. This work lays the foundation for more nuanced international comparative research in the field of collaborative housing.