Build, live together: joint building ventures: empowerment and participation

Abstract

We live in an increasingly globalized world, are facing a climate emergency, and rapidly increasing housing prices in most European cities. In Sweden, we see a trend towards more segregated cities and growing inequalities, a housing market dominated by large housing developers and a system that does not always favor building with quality. In order to face these problems, there is a need to find new strategies for organizing and building our homes and cities. Through a new system that brings more empowerment in the built environment to the inhabitants, social, economic, and ecological aspects can be improved by encouraging a mindset of sharing, meetings between neighbors, and participating in the actual building process. I also believe that there is a need and will of people to participate more in the built environment, their homes and close surroundings. The thesis examines methods to bring more empowerment and participation to future residents in the development of housing. It investigates systems for user-initiated projects and the joint building venture in Berlin and Gothenburg. Case studies show contemporary examples of user-driven housing projects that have achieved something new in their context. Based on the findings in the research, the thesis proposes a new system for the joint building venture and implements it in a design proposal in the Gothenburg suburb Tynnered. The system includes an updated version of the cooperative tenancy and a structure with a community land trust where multiple joint building ventures share a site, an arrangement that makes it possible for groups of people to get together in joint building ventures to develop their own homes.