Volume XIV, No.4 Car Co-ops Grassroots Bolivia Berlin's Eco-Villages Christopher Alexander's Latest $5.00
In this issue... There are many ways to revive communities while providing opportunities for meaningful work. The most fruitful involve creating permanent alternative institutions that catalyze fundamental change at the level of the neighborhood. In Berlin, the rag-tag Fabrik collective (page 8), turned an abandoned movie lot into a full-scale experimental urban village. They live the dreams of many of us, injecting the liveliness of local, cooperative effort into politics, economics, art, engineering and education. And they help thousands of others to achieve the same. There's a different kind of neighborhood revival at Berlin's Block 6 (page 24). This one was achieved by awakening a taste for innovation among local government officials. This ambitious project aims to bring a sizable city block as close as possible to self-sufficiency in water treatment. Beyond that, the project has taken the form of an expansive and delightful park, demonstrating that ecological living can immediately improve quality of life, and is not simply difficult, self-sacrificial rationing. Similarly, social justice does not simply mean lowlevel basic needs for everyone. With a bit of thought, and a great deal of grassroots community involvement, the same resources that would provide, say, an ugly and meagre ghetto apartment development could instead provide excellent, diverse and deeply satisfying housing. That brings us to the message intended by Christopher Alexander's latest housing project (page 14): poor people should not be swept into bad houses. More generally, we should never believe that sterile, mass-produced goods are the salvation of the poor and disenfranchised. Communities are almost always able to provide for their own needs better, in a unique and humane manner, if only given the chance to do so. The Kechuaymara project (page 34), among indigenous peoples in Bolivia, makes that particularly clear. Front Cover A small courtyard within the recently built Agate Street Student Housing in Eugene, Oregon, designed by Christopher Alexander and the Center for Environmental Structure. This was the first time in decades that Alexander worked with the institution for which he long ago designed the Oregon Experiment in democratic planning. See page 14. Back Cover The collective bakery ofthe UFA Fabrik urban village in Berlin. The village occupies the site ofthe former UFA film studios, where famous avant-garde '20s films such as Metropolis and Blue Angel were filmed. RAIN Volume XIV, Number 4 Summer 1994 Above, the student-built and student-designed foundry at the University of Oregon in Eugene. See page 14. 2 Cooperative Transport: Berlin's STATTAUTO (Instead of Cars) Carsharing has progressed from a convenience for a few ecology-minded 'students to a mainstream transportation alternative for a giant city. Stattauto fills many of the gaps in Berlin's public transit system, while effectively attracting people away from private car ownership. 7 The Eugene Car Co-op Some intrepid activists have begun a Stattautoinspired car co-op in the United States: no easy challenge where the automobile reigns supreme. 6 Carsharing Starter Kit 7 8 The Eugene Car Co-op is intended as a model organization. Its bylaws, articles of incorporation, forms, contracts, research and promotional materials are available through RAIN to make it much easier to start one in your neighborhood. Carsharing Resources Aside from the Car Co.:.op material based on the Eugene group's experience, and an upcoming book from RAIN, the serious carsharing organizer can benefit from these contacts. UFA Fabrik A utopian microcosm in the middle of Berlin, deeply tied to its neighborhood. Discover UFA Fabrik, home to 100 people, a circus, performing groups, cafes, workshops, theaters, ecological and social projects, schools, community self-help programs, and a children's farm.
14 Christopher Alexander Visits The Oregon Experiment An update on the 25-year-old Oregon Experiment, as brought into focus by a recent extended visit from its inventor. Housing, democracy, cooperation, ecological sensitivity and the nature of architecture all figure prominently in this instructive tale. 24 Block 6 30 32 34 37 38 An Integrated Water Concept Greening a small town, or a small house, is hard enough, but what can one do with ugly, modem apartment buildings in an urban environment? Block 6 is on the cutting edge of large-scale ecologically-sensitive re-development. Its strength lies in the water. Overseas Development Network And Bike-Aid An amazing group of young organizers put their lives on the line every summer, talking to average US citizens about community problems and solutions at home and abroad. Overseas Development Network Publications ODN publishes dozens of handbooks and catalogs for the student who wants to get involved in ecology and social justice work. Kechuaymara Grassroots Solidarity in Bolivia Two indigenous tribes have joined resources to work directly on the basic needs of their villages. From providing clean water to starting banks that loan seed, Kechuaymara is demonstrating both the strength of mutual aid and the intelligence of democratic, locally-directed development. Kechuaymara - Quinoa Recipes One of Kechuaymara' s interesting projects, suggested by the villagers themselves, intends to create a renaissance in the use of grains native to the region. The project uses both farmer-tofarmer training techniques, seed-based banking, and instructions on growing and cooking the grain. This is an excerpt from one of their booklets. The Bike Column What are the best advocacy handbooks for the alternative transportation activist? How can a project raise money with Valet Bike Parking? 43 52 54 58 61 61 61 The Well-Trained Practical Idealist Every High School, College or University needs a Community Studies program. The 25-year-old program at the University of California at Santa Cruz has a powerful impact on the city, helping idealistic young activists to train themselves in effective organizing of community projects. Read about just how meaningful education could be. And watch the mice bell the cat. Resources: Book and Video Reviews EarthScore; Practical Home Energy Savings; Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings; Straw Bale Video; Public Therapy Buses; and Toward Sustainable Communities, by former RAIN editor Mark Roseland.. More Resources Agriculture; appropriate technology; children and youth; cultural survival; environmental action; forests; communities; international grassroots organizations; mental health and urban renewal. RAIN Back Issues List and Subscription Form Writer's Guidelines Credits Raindrops Next Issue Eco-Mongolia England's Rochdale Cooperatives Grassroots Neighborhood Clinics: The White Bird Clinic in Eugene, Oregon The Westside Clinic in Santa Cruz, California The People Power Bike Advocates A Freetown in Copenhagen And More ... RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 Page 1
Cooperative Transport: Berlin's STATTAUTO (Instead of Cars) By Michael LaFond Photos by David Brandt and Michael LaFond It's not easy owning a car. Maintenance, repairs, parking, traffic, break-ins and accidents can be real headaches. Cars devour hard-to-earn cash. And after paying for registration renewals, insurance and permits, it seems you must drive just to get your money's worth. With a car, you make commitments to travel distances you wouldn't otherwise consider. So you're stuck in the thing, unable to get outdoors even though you're apparently outside. Many people live with just their feet, a bike and the bus, but you don't see how you could. For people in search of alternatives, one of the easiest ways out of auto ownership is the car co-op. A carsharing movement, building up in Europe for several years, is now making its way to the New World. In a car co-op, you don't suffer the stress of ownership. When you really need a vehicle, you can find a suitable one in the neighborhood co-op lot. The less you drive, the less you pay. And, you dramatically reduce the number of cars in your city. Page 2 RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 In Berlin, carsharing is synonymous with Stattauto. It began as a small initiative in 1988 in the Kreuzberg neighborhood, where economics student Markus Petersen and a few friends came together to share the expense and guilt of car ownership with each other. They looked for assistance to create a public carsharing project, but the government wasn't interested in their idea. They had to depend on their own vision and a few rusty old cars to get going. For two years Markus and his brother Carsten, an unemployed philosophy major, experimented with, and organized the project as a kind of test study. Though Stattauto moved slowly in the beginning, after incorporating in 1990 it rapidly developed into a significant transportation alternative. Since December of 1990 it has picked up at least one new member each day. In 1992 the group grew from 500 members to 1000, and all together there are about 3,000 active carsharers in Deutschland. Car co-ops have spread to as many as 100 cities in a growing number of European countries. Members of Stattauto, wishing to use a vehicle, simply get on the phone and dial the reservation number. Ninety
percent of the time, the callers get the car they want immediately. A variety ofautomobiles (as well as workbikes, which are free of charge) are distributed around 14 lots throughout Berlin, making for only a short trip to fetch them. Car keys and travel logs are found at the lots in safe-deposit boxes, to which members have magnetic cardkeys. Upon returning the vehicles, the well-behaved members fill out travel reports for recordkeeping and accounting. Stattauto bills monthly; for kilometers travelled, hours of use, and the taxi rides that can also be billed to members' cards. The group has a "moonshine rate" for women. Between midnight and Sam, women drive free to their destination and return the car in the morning, avoiding a potentially dangerous walk in the dark. Becoming a Stattauto member involves an investment of $600-900 (returned upon leaving the group), an initiation fee of $75, and monthly dues of $5 to $7.50. The costs are figured to be always just above what it would otherwise cost to use public transit. An organizational bylaw reads "as much with trains and buses, bicycles and feet as possible, and only as much with autos as necessary." Carsharing serves its members and the environment before it thinks about making money. It's one of the few service organizations that discourages the use of its most lucrative service. Another initial rule was that car sharers could not be car owners. About half of the members joining Stattauto have made "painful" separations from their private vehicles. Other members generally either never owned a car, or had given them up long ago. But membership carries a great many benefits. Stattauto' s fleet has grown to about 60 motor vehicles of all different types, such as cars, pickups, and buses, along with At left, car co-op members ,,,'-¢·· have access to many different vehicles: subcompacts, electric cars, station wagons, vans, buses. Right, the founders of Stattauto (Oswald, Carsten and Markus Petersen) with a workbike ''Lasten-fahrrad", available for members to use free of charge. the workbikes. In addition, bike and luggage racks and child seats can be checked out. The growth in membership pushed the development of car-sharing convenience technologies, such as the "Mobilcard", the magnetic card used fo get into those safe-deposit boxes with the car keys. This card has Stattauto information on one side, and the othet is a monthly pass for.Berlin mass transit. Again, it can also be used for taxi charges. One ofthe .easiest ways out of· · · auto ownership is the Car Co-op. Stattauto is committed to researching and demonstrating alternative and appropriate forms of transportation. Not only does it support the use of workbikes, but together with Atlantis, an environmental RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 Page 3
Above. Whereas the average Ber(in car is driven only 55 minutes each day, Stattauto cars are used intensively, making better use of resources. At least one-fourth ofthe environmental damage done by cars occurs in production. technology association, they have developed the first ~arsharing lot in Germany with solar-driven electric cars (EMobiles). On March 5th, Stattauto celebrated a highprofile opening of the first "solar service station", a set of solar panels on a roof in Kreuzberg, with a "solar pump" below in the courtyard. The panels collect energy in the . daytime, which.is sold to the city's electric power grid, and in the evening the two Stattauto E-Mobiles are recharged for the next day's use. The pump is designed to give E-Mobiles only as much energy as the solar panels generate. Since carsharing is baseq on short urban trips, it is certain that the use of solar-fed electric cars (whose batteries have a 60km limit) will take off ·after these initial experiments prove themselves. An expanding European CarSharing network (ECS) is based in Berlin, directed by Carsten Petersen of Stattauto. ECS organizations are.found already in Switzerland, Germany, Holland and Austria, and are now starting up in Sweden and England. Berlin Stattauto members presently can us~, without any bureaucracy, other carsharing groups' vehicles in about 70 different cities. Members can take.the train to these other cities and still have a car or bike to use· when they get there. . Among the lofty goals of the ECS are reductions in both the number and use of cars, and support for · cooperation between carsharing and public transportation. ECS affiliates, such as Stattauto, cannot maintain more than one vehicle for each 10 members, and the rates for car use must be above the costs for similar trips on mass transit. Car co-op members must have the right to participate in Page 4 RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 organizational decision-making. Carsharing groups1 set the pricing of their services to cover overhead and are not expected to earn any profit. Although the ECS~ affiliated groups have tightlycontrolled finances, social and ecological objectives must come before economic ones. Within Stattauto a Members' Forum has been active since the beginning. It has the authority to direct spending, among other things. Stattauto, ancJ carsharing in other cities, is organized independently from government and bureaucracy, encouraging the participatory empowerment of the membership. ECS is similarly decentralized: a network of neighborhood-based groups that reaches across cities and countries. Stattauto organizers are committed tO' both ecological transportation and ecological forms of organization. It is their goal that the model of carsharing remain comprehen.sible, easy for others to repeat, and broadly affordable by the public. . What are the demographics of the current carsharing public in Berlin? The carsharing pioneers ih Kreuzberg were younger, poorer and more idealistic than the average middle-class Stattauto member of today. Today's member is 35, earns $2,000 to $3,000 per month, has a nniversity degree, votes Green, is a teacher, architect or other professional, is idealistic but not avant-garde, and is a former car owner. Stattauto is working to expand its base. Indulging ourselves for a moment, and using some very crude numbers, let's assume that by the year 2000 Berlin is completely converted to carsharing, and has a population of 6,ooo;ooo. The city would then have only 600,000 cars Members presently can· use vehicles in about 70 diffe~ent cities. · parked on the streets instead of 2,000,000. This reduction of 1,400,000 autos represents a fantastic improvement not only in the urban ecology of the city, but a winning back of enough land to pl~nt a million trees, or milHons of flowers, fruit and vegetable plants. If the entire German population moved in the direction of carsharing, tens of millions of autos could be scrapped. Carshaiing in the US could lead to the recycling of a hundred million autos! The German groups are trying to help out new US groups with their Handbook for Carsharers that will be available next year in English with sections relevant to the
American experience. The book is a must read for potential carsharers. (To receive notice of the book',s publication, send your name and address to RAIN, PO Bo.x 30097, Eugene, Oregon 97403.) According to Carsten Petersen of Stattauto, there are three critical requirements for beginning new groups: ( 1). there must already exist a public transportation system, as · carsharing is only a complement,to mass transit, and not a system in itself; (2) it must be expensive, or relatively so, to drive and maintain single-occupa_ncy private cars; and (3) it must be difficult . and unattractive to drive and park cars. While the mass transit situation is , somewhat embarrassing in the US, there's no doubt that private auto use will continue to become both more expensive and less attractive. Despite the overwhelming cultural popularity of the automobile, U.S. cities offer fertile ground for carsharing. And American pioneers, when they're ready, can count on help from the Old World. "Es geht nicht so weiter, wenn es so weitergeht. " (It can't go on, if it keeps going this way.) - Erich Kastner A personal note: This story is dedicated to a girlfriend ofmine, Leslie P., who died in a car accident in 1982. I've recently left Berlin, where I lived happily without an auto for one and halfyears, and returned to Seattle where automobiles are unfortunately still considered "necessary. " In the future~ life here could be a little less dangerous, and a little healthier, with carshqring. Michael Lafond is an architect, artist and writer researching sustainability. He facilitates a class <!n these issues at the University of Washington, Department of Urban Design. Right. A large set of rooftop solar panels recharge Stattauto's electric carfleet and pump electricity back into the utility grid. Electric cars usually cost more fo purchase, but they sharply reduce in-city emissions. In the US, you can get a federal tax deduction for electric cars. RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 Page 5
The .Eugene Car Co-op Twenty-seven percent of Eugene, Oregon's population walks, skates, bikes, uses the bus, or carpools to work. The city's wonderful alternative modes infrastructure makes it a natural candidate for carsharing. Empowered with a RAIN . magazine article about Berlin's carsharing organization, the German version of the Carsharing book, and a list of contacts, a committed group of seven people (including RAIN's editors) created the Eugene Car Co-op. With faith in each other, we embarked on a great cooperative learning .· experience. There followed months of ironing out hundreds of little details. Research and networking uncovered a surprising number of previous US ·carsharing projects. Information from the Movement.for a New Society's Life Center project .of 30-40 carsharers and STAR (Short Term Automobile Rental), which served·a large San Francisco apartment complex,. clarified the reality of day-to-day operat~on, suggested viable rates, and helped us avoid costly finandal' and organizational ~istakes. Here are some of the things we've learned: . . 1. Find a small group of committed people to make initial start up decisions. 2. Gather all the available information and make contacts with other groups at the beginning of the planning stage. . 3. Be patient and be prepared to work at least 6-12 months from the first meeting until the beginning of operation. 4. Have most of the details figured out before you buy a car (rates, insurance, initial members, contracts, etc.). 5. Verify that potential members are good credit risks to save ·you time and energy at monthly bill collection time. 6. When.you are ready to buy cars, consider getting used cars or donations to keep start up costs low. 7. Include bus passes, transit discounts and bike sharing in P~ge 6 RAIN Summer 1994 Volu.me XIV·, Number 4· membership benefits. Make promoting alternative modes an important component of your organization, as well as make reducing the number of cars in your city a primary goal. 8. Connect with l~cal pedestrian, bicycling, and transit advocacy . groups and activists. 9. Register the name of your organization with tlie Secretary of · ·State as soon as you agree on it. Beware of putting any group property (cars, literature, etc.) under another organization's name before .your relationship to that organization is legally formalized. Also make sure the othergroup's BoardofDirectors is stable and accountable. If you do not legally formalize the relationship, your group could end up fosing precious work. 10. Carsharing can start simply. The Berlin group began when -a couple of brothers shared a common car while living in separ~te liviiig spaces. They used an answering machine to coordinate the use of the car. 11. If you 're sefiously thinking of starting a solid organization, than your group will save a 1ot <?f work and money by ordering the Eugene Car Co-op's Carsharing Start-up Kit. The Kit comes both in printed form and on computer disk. It includes sample Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, promotional material, tips on how to approach insurance companies, vehicle information; membership educational material,- research material from other US carsharing projects, different car reservation possibilities, order forms for the upcoming US Carsharing Handbook. *The Carsharing Start-up·Kit is copyrighted and is available for use by cooperative groups seeking to start carsharing for ecological purposes. The cost is $50. Ifyou live in Eugene and <!re interested in finding out more or in becoming a member ofthe Eugene Car Co-op, write us at: Eugene Car Co-op, PO Box 30092, Eugene, Oregon W403, USA or call (503) 345-2708; The Kit will save your group much time and mon.ey. It includes: - A Copy ofShort Carsharing Radio a,nd TV shows - Sample: - Membership Application and Cards - Organizational Articles ofIncorporation ~ . . - Organizational Bylaws - Promotional Brochures - Press Releases - Operational Guides, Sign in/out sheets, etc. - Research on Previous Carsharing Projects The Kit comes both in printedform and on computer disks. It is avail<;t-ble to groups with a cooperative, environmental focus for only $50. Orderfrom RAIN, PO Box 30097, Eugene,.OR 97403, USA.
Res.ources STATIAUTO Koln ·--------------.. Krefelder Wall 10 I I W-5000 KOln 1 I I Phone 0221-7392233 North America STATIAUTO I I Eugene Car Co-op Genossenschaft i.Gr. Stadtauto .Wuppertal I I PO Box 30092 Fleischhauerstr. 32 c/o Thomas Krefting I I Eugene, OR 97403 W-2400 Lubeck Lettow-Vorbeck Str. 20 (503) 345-2708 Phone 0451/76493 W-56op Wuppertal 11 I I Phone 02191/76563 I I Paul Atwood, Bike-E Stadtauto Bremen 5460 SW Philomath Blvd Mathildenstr. 25 ShareMobil Munchen I Name I Corvallis, OR 97330 Phone 0421177010 Car Sharing GmbH I I (503) 753-9747 Fax 0421/74465 Postfach 202126 I Address I W-8000 Munchen 2 Richard Katzev STATIAUTO Phone 089/355710 I I Public Policy Research Car-Sharing Kassel I City/State/Zip I 2432 NW Johnson Dombergstr. 26 STATIAUTO Dresden I I Portland, Oregon 97210 W-3500 Kassel Peter Lohse (503) 226-2721 Phone 0561/107249 Ludwig Hartmann Str. 9 I I'd like to subscribe for: I 0-821 Dresden I 1 year/4 issues............US$20.00 I Joel Hodgen Stadtauto e.V. I 2 years/8 issues...........US$40.00 I 12714 Lake City Way NE Schmiedstr. 43 Austria · #8 W-4000 Dusseldorf Die Autonative I Foreign surface mail, add US$8.00 I Seattle, WA 98125 Phone 021/7700823 Albert Ruhland I per subscription year. Canada, too! I (206) 362-2166 Diehlgasse 50/25 I Is this a RENEWAL? I StadtteilAUTO e.V. A-1050Wien Jessie Glaser Heinrichsallee 2 Phone 0043/115574273 I Please send a gift subscription to: I 2007 Sawtelle Blvd, Suite 4 W-5100 Aachen I I Los Angeles, CA 90025 Phone 0241/536083 Germany (310) 473-6508 Fax 02411601379 spe membership: I (1st gift) Name ·1 Experience with STAR. STATIAUTOBonn I I Hermas CarSharing Prinz Albert Str. 43 I Address I Benoit Robert St. Johann Str. 6/621 · W-5300 Bonn 1 338 St. Olivier, app.2 W-8520 Erlangen Phone 0228/215913 I I Quebec, Canada GlR 1GS Phone 09131148535 I City/State/Zip I England CarSharing I I Freewheelers STATIAUTO in Franken Deutschland e.G. (2nd gift) Name Ventµre House 176 Anderlohrstr. 51 Munchener Str. 27 I I London SW 2 5 UL W-8520 Erlangen W-6000 Frankfurt 1 I I Great Britain Ph0ne 091311501657 & Fax Phone 069/614673 I Address I Phone 00441717386861 Switzerland STATIAUTO Munchen I City/State/Zip I Driveshare UK ATG AutoTeiler Baldestr. 8 I I Reburn House Genossenschaft W-8000 Munchen 5 I I Slon Road Postfach 57 Phone 089/661018 , Gift subscriptions for: Bristol BS 3 3 BD CH-6048 Horw I 2 years/8 issues.........US$40.00 I Great Britain Phone 00411411617151 Other groups: I 1 year/4 issues...........US$20.00 I Phone 0044/272667755 Fax 0041141/487577 teilAuto Bremen I Foreign surface mail, add US$8.00 I or 0044/272637634 Phone 04211414730 Sharecom I per subscription year. Canada, too! I Germany Hohenring 29 teilAuto Hannover I Should we send a postcard saying I European CarSharing ~ostfach 203 Phone W-0511/318574 I this gift subscription is from you? I Members: CH-8024 Zurich STATIAUTO Phone 004114113028378 t.Jmweltforum Dortmund I I Car-Sharing GmbH Phone 023117214037 I TOTAL ENCLOSED I Manteuffelstr. 40 STATIAUTO, I W-1000 Berlin 36 Braunschweig, Guldenstr. Sa Stattauto Giessen All orders must be prepaid and in US I Phone 030/6113527 w-3300 Braunschweig Phone 0641/72239 I funds. Please make checks payable to I Fax 030/6113727 Phone 05311124139 I I Fax 05311125600 AutoNetz Saarbrilcken RAIN magazine. Stattauto e.V. Phone 0681132525 I I Daimlerstr. 2 StadtTEILAuto I Mail with your check to: I W-2000Hamburg 50 c/o Verkehrwende e.V. Autoteilen Kaiserlautem I RAIN magazine I Phone 040/6321039 Mondstr. 158 Phone 0631/97974 W-4400 Mtinster I PO Box 30097· I STATIAUTO Kiel VCD-Kreisverband I Eugene, Oregon 97403 I Ringstr. 56 Collistrans-Die Leibe Mannheim · I USA W-2300 Kiel 1 Walther Rathenau Str. 77 lnitiafive Autoteilen • Phone 0431/676701 W04800 Bielefeld 1 Phone 06211331774 . I' I Phone 05211176606 .. ______________ .. RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 Page 7
By Michael LaFond In the middle of a city of millions sits an autonomous region of 65,000 square feet. It's both urban village and neighborhood center, with cafes, schools, clinics, a children's farm, theaters, alternative cinemas, innovative ecological p~ojects, model community self-help programs, ' and housing for 60 residents and 40 visitors. It's also an international cultural and s'ocial attraction, drawing 300,000 people a.year with its festivals, performing groups, and circus troupes. UFA Fabrik is Berlin's premier multicultural experiment in living, working and laughing together. From seven people in 1972, the Fabrik eommune has grown into an adventurous extended family of musicians, dancers, acrobats, clowns, Page 8 RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 craftspersons and other artists. The members pnde themselves in being as diverse as the larger world around them. They are a "free" commune in that they have no particular set of beliefs or religion. They come together to explore alt~rnatives and help . build an active culture: As German news fills.with neo-Nazis, failing economies and dying forests, it's good to see the UFA folks succeed. They work well, cooperatively and with a sense of humor. These grounds have seen less tolerant times. In 1917, they became the UFA film studios, Universal Film AG. The company produced German propaganda during World War I and II. In peacetime, movies for profit and entertainment replaced those for patriots. In the 1920s, during Berlin's heady experimental years,
Above, animators in 1926 between shots on the set of Metropolis, filmed on the UFA site in Berlin by avant-garde director Fritz Lang. Left, the auto..Jree streets ofthe present ·day UFA urban village, whose cafes, events and community service projects draw 300,000 people a year. To reduce the impact ofthe visitors, the Fabrik runs many systems for composting, greywater use and energy efficiency. such significant films as Metropolis and The Cabinet ofDr. Caligari were produced at UFA..What was left of the studio closed in the early 1970s, unable to compete with television and Hollywood. The idea for a Fabrik fiir Kultur, Sport und Handwerk [Factory ~or culture, sport and crafts] developed in an alternative West Berlin neighborhood in the early 1970s. Cold-war money pouring into the isolated city, intended to keep West Berliners from leaving, had the unintended effect of making West Berlin a Above, some goods are moved about the UFA grounds. The com~un°ity provides home and workfor 'one hundred permanent and temporary residents. Some ofthose are members ofthe wild UFA circus, ·below, who entertain their · fellow Berliners and travel a European-wide circuit of alter71ative, international cultural centers, with which UFA Fabrik is closely associated. mecca for radical projects, and fertile ground for the . counterculture. An important environmental festival in 1978 motivated the Fabrik craft-collective to look for a place where they could realize dreams of living ·and working together. They boldly, but peacefully, occupied the forgotten., demolitionthreatened UFA studio grounds, and immediately opened their doors to the public. Great support was · shown by neighbors, media people and other West Berliners. In a gesture of trust, they withdrew from the site just before a decisive city hall debate. The West Berlin Senate RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 Page 9
granted temporary use, but only in threemonth leased increments. This was a wild, dream-come-true time, but serious questions of economic ~ ·survival had to be immediately ad-. dressed. Studies and inventories were done on the deteriorated lot; and uses were considered for .the long neglected structures. Above: 1 Organization and Info Central, 2 UFO I & II Historic Cinemas and Film Cafe, 3 NUSZ, Neighborhood And Self-help Center, 4 Family Services, 5 ¥ovement & Dance Studio, 6 Rain Water Cistern & Treatment Pond, Groups formed to create provisional spaces for housing, a Dojo, and the Treffpunkt Cafe [meeting place cafe]. This followed the Cafe Theory of Squatting, which stresses the value ofari informal meeting place for squatters and friends from the "outside world." Such cafes develop the necessary political constituency, bring in a little cash, and satisfy basic needs to ·sodalize and celebrate. 7 Natural Foods Store, 8 Organic Whole Grain Bakery•.9 Workshops & Garage; wood, ceramics, metal and machine repair, 10 Recycling Station, 11 Studios in Film Bunker, 12 Pojo - Training Room for Aikido, Karate, Tai Chi, etc., 13 Summer Bar, 14 Garden Terraces;.15 Exhibition Space, Getting through the first winter looked difficult, since the heating system and many buildings needed rehabilitation. But the.uFA financed the repairs with no government support, using instead 16 Grand Theatre, 17 Open Air Theatre, 18 Free School,.19 Children's Farm, 20 Solar UFA Housing, 2J. Cafe ble, 22 International Guest House, 23 Mime Studio, 24 Dance Studio, 25 Music, Film & Video. Studios. Page 10 RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 proceeds from cultural presentations,·donations, credit from the Berliner Netzwerk (a community co-op bank), private loans and countless hours of sweat equity..Even the Berlin Free School, a significant project involved in the occupa- · tion, was able to organize its space in time for the Fall 1979 school season. - Competitive thinking and traditional gender work divisions were set aside in favor of learning from each . other. People developed their own interests and strengths, yet maintained a readiness to cooperate. Even their economics are based on ~ c.ommon money system, and the community provides work for all its residents, as well as nearly 40 others. UFA people say the community works on Top, the .UFA grounds in Berlin today, after 15 years offJ:iendly occupation. The UFA Fabrik collective now has a 35-year lease from the city. Middle, outside the Neighborhood Family Service Center. Left, kids from the UFA Free School ride some ponies from the village children's farm. There are several of 1 these innovative farms in Berlin, run by children with adults as non-authoritarian assistants. The freeschoolers are riding past solar retrofitted community hqusing. The innovative conservation measures at UFA, which inclade energy co-generation and building greening (most clearly seen on the roofofthe cafe on pages 8 and 9), serve as inspiring, active models to residents of the surrounding city.
the most advanced political model: Gleic_hberechtigung, or equality. Notto say there are no leaders, nor.that everyone is identical, but that all people should be critical thinkers, and leaders in their own areas.. In these first years, .UFA members d~veloped the skills needed to 'renovate and maintain the grounds. Artists became·metal workers, electricians and carpenters. On the weekends, the men and women went public with their second natures as performers, creating colorful and pro- .' vocative programs that attracted great crowds to the ' UFA site. The UFA Fabrik-Circus has always been a strong focus for the commune. It was an important time in 1982 when an English tentmaker taught the community to make a The ~af e Theory of Squatt~ng stresses the value ofproviding a meeting place for squatters and their friends from· the "outside world." traditional circus tent. After many weeks spent creating the pieces, it was assembled and raised ove~ UFA' s circus ring, creating a home for their entertaining;-low-tech mix of variety, cabaret, music, and unserious magic. Contacts developed through decades of successft'.11 networking now enable Fabrik members to organize international projects, in addition to their locally-oriented theater, dance, music and cinema. In 1989 they coordinated the Mir Caravan [peace caravan], which started in Russia and travelled across Europe performing circus and street theater. Their Trans Europe Theater Festivals bring together in Berlin some of the best experimental performers from around Europe. People come to UFA for all kinds of special nourishment. After all, 'du bist, was du iftt [you are what you eat!] The first modem food co-op in Berlin was organized by the original Fabrik community,'in the Schoneberg district, to provide themselves with organic food. In the Fall of 1980 one of the first whole-grain bread bakeries in B~rlin started up at the UFA. The bakery now produces more than 3~000 loaves a week, along with pastries and othyr delicacies. UFA bread sells in the adjacent Bio-Laden (an organic At right, guest housing at UFA Fabrik. Visitors from around the worldflock to this exciting art community at the oldfilm studios. Film is still an active part of the site, with many independentfilmmakers and visitors using the facilities here. UFA has a number offilm programs, including a cinema cafe that's a m(ljor gathering place for aficionados, and theatres/or alternative and histor...ic film. foods store), in UFA's Cafe Ole, and other alternative shops around the city. Since the beginning, UFA members have worked in many ways to improve their "quality of life", meaning -also improvement in the quality of their ecosystem. Thjs prompted a number of pioneering efforts, including the food co-op's connection to local organic farmers. The UFA's intensively-used, small village design provides challenges and opportunities to develop a decentralized, ecologically sensitive infrastructure for community resources. UFA members experiment with demonstrations of solar energy, roof and fa~ade greening, composting, greywater recycling, bio-gas systems and windmills. They found building ecologically to be costly in the short-term, so they . developed systems th,at could be realized in small steps. With the security of a 35-year lease, UFA is now carrying out major ecological renewal projects, including extensive improvements in energy and water systems, fa~ade and roof greening, and recycling/composting programs. The community was fortunate to be selected as a demonst~ation neighborhood for s,uch iJJ.itiatives, receiving some financial help from the city and the European Community. ·An unusual machine supplied energy in the early years at UFA. The experimental co-generation system, built from a recycled diesel truck engine, produced electricity and heat for local use. To increase their energy independence, and further reduce resource consumption and emissions of C0 2 ·and other gases, two modem "block heati~g and energy power plants" (BHKWs) have been installed. These cogeneratio~ plants cover 80% of community electrical needs, and provide for all space and water heating. In addition, the Fabrik carries out many projects in building and pipe insulation, and energy and lighting efficiency. Water in Berlin is extremely costly. In an exciting new project, rain.water is collected from the village and stored in a cistern based in a re~ovated underground vault. A · "gFeen filter" built next to the cistern biologically treats this water in a pond with plants. From there it irrigates green roofs .and flushes toilets for countless thousands of UFA Fabrik visitors. A great volume of water is used in the cafe ,for washing dishes, and this will also eventually be collected, ,treated and reused for plants a~d toilets. HAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 Page 11
Above stands Juppi, one ofthe founders of UFA, in front ofthe Fabrik offices. The entry behind him spor,ts a newly installed thatch portico. It's one ofhundreds of large and small modifications made to the ugly, '50s-style industrial Bauhaus buildings the collective found on the site upon arrival. Even bad structures can become good ones with enough effort. Below right, the logo of UFA 's NUSZ, or Neighborhood Self-help Center. On the Opposite page, a rendering ofthe popuiar Backerei, or bakery, at UFA, one of the first in Berlin to produce whole-grain breads in modern times. Adjacent is the UFA organic foods store, Bio-laden. Both are strongly connected to local farmers. UFA members hope to gain.the experience needed to make greywater recycling a reality in their community in the coming years. Most UFA buildings are representative of industrial architecture and urban design of the 1950s: flat roofed, topped with tat paper, and surrounded by pavement. As such, the grounds generated uncomfortably high temperature swings in the summer, and lots of dry air and dust. So members began a building greening program in the 1980s. So far about 8,000 out of 24,000 square feet of roof surfaces are already green, as well as 2,000 square feet of grou~d and fa\:ade surface area. The added vegetation has noticePage 12 RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 ably improved the local microclimate, modifying both the humidity and temperature. It has also reduced the levels of noise and dust, improved insulation, and created new habitat for plants, birds and ins~cts. In addition, the green roofs and fa9ades help to retain and fiJter rain w~ter before it gets to the cistern. At UFA Fabrik's recycling station, separated wastes are either processed or sent to be recycled elsewhere. Organic wastes coming from the cafe and the children's farm animals are now sent to "fast composters" (Aust1ian handrolled drums) that reduce the composting time from six months to two. Part of the UFA Fabrik's food wastes are fed · to the farm animals, and the compost is used in the community as much as po~sible. Out of the yearly generated 1000m3 of various wastes, about 150m3 can be composted and reused. Through a combination of programs, the total waste volume is expected to be reduced by up to 40%. In connection with the ecological renewal program, an exhibition, including a detailed site model, drawings and diagrams, is housed in a small, greened building. This is . only one of many public education programs at UFA. Several projects, including some that had been with the commune from the beginning, came together in 1987 to I form the NUSZ, a Neighborhood Self-help Center. Some NUSZ projects, such as pre- and post-natal workshops, and the children's farm, now receive a.bit of financial support from the Berlin Senate. Central to the work of NUSZ is making space available for social and preve.nt~tive h'ealth ·programs, such as meditation, martial arts, and socially healthy festivities bringing together people of different ages · and cultural backgrounds. The NUSZ is founded on the idea of self-help, or personal and social change through self-initiative. While our society gives us a lot of free and leisure time, it steadily eats away at our free space, our freedom to consider alternatives, and our confid~nce to think and act creatively. There's a German motto that captures NUSZ and other UFA Fabrik activities: Bist du heute nicht mobil, wirst du morgen zum Fossil [if today you're not active, then tomorrow you'll be a fossil]. Children also need this liberation. At UFA' s Children' s Farm, kids care for horses, pigs, and chickens, work in the garden, play, cook and eat together, and just hang out. They also train and perform over in the children's circus school, catching the thrill of the stage. UFA's Berlin Free School still needs official recognition, yet some 40 kids (including UFA children) from 1st through 6th grades, learn according to their needs, with no anxiety over scores or pressure
from inhuman schedules. With no physical division into grades, the kids learn much from working and playing with older and younger students. Everyone gets lots of attention: one helpful adult for every five children. Activities break through the standard barriers between learning, home, and work, that mysterious world of adults. The school is completely woven into the life of the village. UFA Fabrik manages to bring all these pieces together in a beautiful way. It's a mix that satisfies members, and attracts hundreds of thousands of others to see and experience this revolutionary yet sensible activity. Visitors go to hang out in the cafe, to dance.and play music, or even just to walk on the village lanes and paths, well fra~ed with plants and pleasantly overgrown with bushes and trees. While the UFA sits in the center of a great metropolis, and has a high concentration of people and activity, it's organized on a small, more human scale. Autos aren't seen or heard. The dominant sounds come from people on foot and riding bikes, with lots of playing kids, barking dogs .and chirping birds. This utopian microcosm encourages peopl~'s involvement, inspiring many to take chances in their lives. The UFA successfully blends cult~re with politics, and gives everyone a good time in the process. Not long ago, I stopped by to meet with Juppi, a central community figure, circus performer and original Fabrik personality. We had arranged to meet in the Cafe, and getting there a littl~ early I sat at a comer table to think up some good questions. Juppi came in shortly with his three · "circus dogs" and joined me after saying hello to a few others in the Cafe. While we talked, other UFA Fabrik folks could be seen coming and going, dropping in to chat, to get a cup of coffee, or to see who else was there. Suddenly a group of kids came running in from the school across the way, dressed up in bizarre <;ostumes as part of the German Fasching holiday. They went around the Cafe asking everyone questions for some school survey project. Our conversation drifted into the areas of ecology and community history. Juppi turned and pointed to others who knew more about these things, Woerner and Sigi, who happened to be s~ated at another table. He suggested I find them after we were finished. As Juppi explained it to me, the community has monthly-assembly meeti.ngs to formally make decisions, but the real political and cultural change .happens every day. UFA Fabrik membe~s see each other aii the time, and so can carry out their business informally. What they do for work is not much separated from what they do in their free time, or what they do for fun, or even from what their kids do. Juppi emphasized that the UFA is just one example of what people c'an dp together, and not an answer for everyone. Even after accomplishing much, the Fabrik members are sti11 learning.·They·remind us that we all need to find our own way, and provide ourselves opportunities to work creatively for what we believe in. Anyone can visit UFA, or contact Sigifor information, at UFAFabrik, Viktoriastrasse 10-18, 1000 Berlin 42, Germany. RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 Page 13
fllexaQder Visits JQe Ore~oQ ExperimeQt Recently, fatf!S converged upon sleepy Eugene, Oregon to create a fascinating controversy. As a story i;,,,volving participatory democracy and the human-built environment, it's one ofthe most revealing in the latter part ofthe 20th Century. Most Euge~eans, however, don't see it this way. Panic, froth and potent disinformation spilled into the local media, so coloring the story as to obscure the subject. -In the after.math, few have the will to examine what happened. That's unfortunate, because the implications are far-reaching. Christopher Alexander's latest project, with its laudable ecological and social goals, was nearly dismantled by institutional disregard for people. Ironically he addressed that very problem in another inspired program, in this same community, over twenty Y,ears ago. By Greg Bryant Certain places simply feel good. Perhaps it's that lively public square where you meet with friends, or a nook of profound solitude, or the little paradise outside with the bench, the old tree, the warm-colored wall and the perfect sunlight. It doesn't take an expert to know that these spots are just right. So why do architects and planners usually mak;e these judgements for us? Instead, perhaps ordinary people should design their own surroundings. In 1970, the entire·University of Oregon campus became a testing ground for this idea. The·creator of the new plan, Berkeley Professor Christopher Alexander, was an architect himself. But he believed that, given the alienating results <;>f modem construction, normal people must know more about humane habitat than professionals. Passing control to the campus community became known as The Oregon Experiment. The foundation of the plan was the user group. Ale~ander wrote that "al1 decisions about what to build, and how to build it, will be in the hands of the users." This meant, among other things, that students, faculty and staff destined to use a new building Page 14 RAIN Summer 1994 . Volume XIV, Number 4 would design it themselves, with the help of architectfacilitators. The results were excellent: people know a great deal about what they like and need. Many even felt the experience to be, in some way, profound. Soon the Oregon campus became world-renowned as a working model of participatory planning. The user group, however, was only part of the plan. People should decide their own fate, fine, but how do you keep outside forces from messing up the process? To start, Alexander suggested that the planning office keep most projects small, letting the campus g~ow through careful, gradual construction. This way users could work at a human scale, and a human pace, and the administration wouldn't feel so tempted to tamper with all those' little projects. A student-built bus shelter, arts foundry, and other amenities were created to demonstrate the natural, graceful effect of piecemeal growth. To keep users from feeling lost in so much unfamiliar design work, Alexander provided an encyclopedic set of suggestions for sensitive architecture, known as a pattern language. He later publishe~ an absorbing, best-selling
The Oregon Experiment, begun on the University of Oregon campus in the early '70s, set out to prove that humane, sensitive architecture was possible through the deep participation ofthe campus community. Opposite page left, the art department's foundry, an early result ofthe Experiment, designed and built by students an4 faculty. book under this title. Patterns are something like rules, but not so authoritarian. As certain aspects of language can contribute to good sentences, patterns are meant to help people make good human space. For example, one pattern argues for mixed-use buildings: students should live in small clusters intimate with workshops, libraries, labs and· other activities. The resulting social brew is a natural. stimulant to education and research. Patterns keep this kind of insight active in community memory·. The Experiment encourages user discovery of useful patterns: "the collection of formally adopted patterns shall be reviewed annualJy at public hearings, where any member of the community can introduce new patterns, or revisions of old patterns, on the basis of explicitly stated observations and experiment~ . " In this way, the University could study itself. Alexander introduced another annual exercise . . known as diagnosis, a poll of people's feelings about nearly every piece of campus. The results were to be publicly reported, undergo community revision, and guide future change. In Alexander's experience, opinion based primarily on feeling is a perfectly good foundation for community planning. "The myth that's being propagated is that. everyone feels differently, that the communality is-on the order of 10% and the difference on the order of 90%." He believes that regarding environment, the opposite is the case. People working to improve the humanity of a given spot mostly agree. .But the harmony disappears, and the goals become elusive, when groups are bombarded with The Community made many sucessful planning and design decisions through Alexander's Experiment over the decades: above left, a well-used kiosk, above right, Richard Britz' Urban Farm, and below, a view from the scholars' walk ofthe Education School, d complex preserved, and carefully enlarged, under the plan's recommendations. tough-sounding technicalities. When these dominate, planners and development professionals usually win the ensuing arguments. Really, there needn't be such fear of citizen intuition since, says Alexander, "no·one is going to claim to have good feelings about a traffic hazard." If people's senses are given priority, a group can take into account "the emotional life of children, the feelings of an old person'. walking up and down a street, the atmosphere surrounding someone buying a pound of tomatoes", and in that context, necessary structural points can be discussed. This isn't difficult to do, as long as the process emphasizes making things better, not just fulfilling·dead requirements. Campus plart11ers took th~se ideas to heart, along with other material in the plan, and made some solid strides RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 Page 15
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz