https://www.ft.com/content/79726eaf-e4dd-4432-8254-a69fdc6af6e2
"Once a week, Michael Kerbler and his neighbours eat dinner together in a
modern, open-plan kitchen built on the roof of their apartment building in
central Vienna. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide an excellent view over the
city and the park just below. There’s a well-equipped playroom next door so the
children can entertain themselves while the adults chat over a glass of wine.
Some of the food comes from the raised vegetable garden also on the roof, along
with a yoga studio, library sitting room and large sauna. All the residents
have their own flat in the building and for this they pay an average of €600 a
month.
Gleis 21 is an award-winning, intergenerational co-housing project in Vienna
that the residents own, operate and manage collectively. Plant-filled terraces
encircle the four-storey building, built almost entirely from wood apart from
four central concrete pillars. Unlike a 1970s commune, residents have their own
separate apartments as well as access to the communal spaces on the 700 sq m
rooftop. There are 38 units in all, including a two-bedroom guest apartment
that can be booked for visiting friends and family.
The residents, who range in age from 27 to 72, came up with the concept, raised
the money and oversaw the construction of the building. The core group was
formed in 2015. By 2017, they had the architect’s plans and the funding in
place. The building was completed in 2019 and they all moved in shortly before
lockdown. The total cost of the project was almost €10mn. The group found €2mn
themselves, the rest came from the bank in the form of a 30-year mortgage and
they also received subsidies and a loan from City Hall.
One of the reasons Vienna is repeatedly voted one of the most liveable cities
in the world is because its urban planning is centred on the question “is this
good for children?” as opposed to “is this good for property developers?” The
children who live in Gleis 21 walk across a park to their local school and have
a community of neighbours who can look after them when their parents are at
work. Meanwhile, parts of many of the world’s leading cities — including Hong
Kong, Sydney, San Francisco, New York and London — are in danger of becoming
child-free zones because young families simply cannot afford to live in them.
Primary schools in some London boroughs, such as Islington and Camden, are
closing because there are not enough pupils.
As cities such as London and New York enter another year where high rental
prices are causing major social problems, could co-housing projects help ease
the burden?"
Via
Reasons to be Cheerful:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-we-are-reading-vienna-affordable-housing-conscious-travel/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
