2024
Michael LaFond, Giulia Carones, Alex Valder and others
The eBook titled "Cooperative Social-Ecological Housing," published in 2024 by id22: Institute for Creative Sustainability in Berlin, delves into the innovative realm of cooperative and community-based housing projects within German-speaking countries. It emphasizes the urgent need to address contemporary crises such as climate change, housing affordability, and social inequality through sustainable living practices. Through its examination of twelve model projects, primarily located in Berlin, the book illustrates various approaches to social-ecological housing. These projects range from the renovation of existing structures to entirely new constructions, all aimed at providing affordable housing while integrating environmental features. Noteworthy aspects include energy efficiency, renewable resources, and communal living spaces that foster community interaction. Participatory planning and self-governance emerge as central themes, with residents actively involved in the decision-making processes. However, the book does not shy away from discussing challenges, such as financing hurdles and the need to maintain long-term community engagement. It posits that cooperative housing models can be more responsive to social and environmental needs compared to traditional developers, advocating for greater policy support and financing to amplify their impact. Ultimately, the authors, a team of “activist-experts” from id22, aim to inspire and equip readers with practical knowledge to pursue similar cooperative housing initiatives. The book serves as a crucial resource for anyone interested in tackling housing and social challenges through sustainable and community-focused strategies.
This eBook titled "Cooperative Social-Ecological Housing" was published in 2024 by id22: Institute for Creative Sustainability in Berlin, Germany. It provides an in-depth look at cooperative and community-based housing projects in German-speaking countries, with a focus on combining social and ecological sustainability.
Key findings and context:
- The book examines how housing cooperatives can address multiple crises like climate change, housing affordability, and social inequality through innovative approaches to building and living.
- It showcases 12 model projects, mostly in Berlin but also in other German-speaking cities, that demonstrate different ways of implementing social-ecological cooperative housing. These range from renovations of old buildings to new construction projects.
- The projects highlighted aim to provide affordable housing while also incorporating environmental features like energy efficiency, renewable energy, shared resources, and reduced individual living space balanced by communal areas.
- Many projects use alternative ownership models like community land trusts or the Mietshäuser Syndikat to keep housing permanently affordable and non-speculative.
- Participatory planning and self-governance are common themes, with residents heavily involved in decision-making.
- Challenges noted include financing difficulties, balancing affordability with ecological features, and maintaining community engagement long-term.
- The book argues that cooperatives and community-led housing can be more innovative and responsive to social/environmental needs compared to conventional housing developers.
- It calls for more policy support and financing options to scale up these models.
- The eBook format allows for interactive features and links to additional resources.
The authors are a team from id22, including Michael LaFond, Giulia Carones, Alex Valder and others. They position themselves as "activist-experts" based in Berlin but looking to share lessons internationally. The book draws on their long experience working with and researching cooperative housing projects.
Overall, the book makes the case that cooperative, community-led housing models have significant potential to address housing, social, and environmental challenges in an integrated way, but require supportive policies and financing to scale up their impact. It aims to inspire and provide practical knowledge for others interested in developing similar projects.