URBACT: Transfer Network ALT/BAU
Central results
The network work was characterised by an intensive exchange between the partners.
At the end of the network work, the successful transfer of the Chemnitz agency's successful action strategies to the European partner cities, the adaptation to the local situation and the adaptation of the ideas for dealing with vacancies in the network cities. The key results of the network are summarised in the "Handbook. Revitalising vacant buildings. The ALT/BAU principle" and in "ALT/BAU: Recipes for success. Reactivating vacant buildings and flats" and provide all interested cities with guidelines for revitalising vacant buildings. These brochures are available for download.
Central results in Chemnitz
The activities of the StadtWohnen Chemnitz agency were evaluated in three steps by an external expert, Prof Dr Jan Schaaf (Mittweida University of Applied Sciences) in cooperation with a trainee at the city planning office. The first step was to analyse existing documents. In the second step, building owners were asked about their co-operation with the agency with the help of a questionnaire. Finally, Prof Schaaf conducted interviews with owners and project employees in the city administration and the agency itself. The conclusion of the evaluation was positive. Nevertheless, potential for improvement in the agency's work was also identified and recommendations for future activities were made.
The results can be read here:
Key results in the partner cities
The results achieved so far in the partner cities are remarkable. In Vilafranca del Penedes, Rybnik, Seraing and Constanta, agencies modelled on those in Chemnitz have already begun their work. In Constanta, a comprehensive collection of data on vacant buildings has been compiled and their owners have been asked about their intentions for the buildings. In Seraing, Belgium, architects are developing a pilot study on the possibilities of refurbishing and later utilising the various types of buildings in the Belgian city. The results of this study will later be made available to building owners.
The "Free Riga" initiative aims to innovatively revitalise unrenovated, vacant buildings through temporary interim use. To this end, the partners in Riga are currently compiling a collection of buildings that are available for creative interim use. The project partner in Turin, Urban Lab Torino, which can be described as a "think tank", optimised conditions for the various existing initiatives in the housing sector and is now coordinating their activities. One result of this is a virtual platform called Geografie Metropolitane.