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 innovative housing solutions within German-speaking countries. It emphasizes the potential of cooperative and community-based housing projects to tackle pressing issues such as climate change, housing affordability, and social inequality. Through the examination of twelve model projects, primarily based in Berlin, the book illustrates various approaches to social-ecological cooperative housing. These projects range from the renovation of existing structures to new builds, all designed with a focus on affordability while incorporating sustainable features like energy efficiency and communal living spaces. A key aspect of these cooperatives is the use of alternative ownership models, such as community land trusts, which aim to keep housing affordable and prevent speculation. The authors highlight the importance of participatory planning, where residents actively engage in decision-making processes. However, they also address challenges, including financial barriers and the need for long-term community engagement. The authors, a team of activist-experts from id22, advocate for increased policy support and financing to enhance the scalability of these housing models. They argue that cooperative, community-led housing is often more responsive to social and environmental needs than traditional developers. Ultimately, the book aims to inspire and inform those interested in developing similar community-driven initiatives, showcasing the transformative potential of cooperative housing.
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.