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.
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