Berlin's Left Party wants to use Vienna's model for social housing

Berlin's Left Party wants to use Vienna's model for social housing

The Berlin Left Party is looking for new ways to strengthen housing construction in the capital. A look at Vienna shows you a prime example: the Alterlaa residential park. This impressive residential complex is located in Liesing, was built in the 1970s by the architect Harry Glück and currently offers space for around 10,000 people in three terraced high-rise buildings. These architectural giants are not just living space, but a small city in themselves, with the motto “living for everyone”. My district reports that Alterlaa has numerous integrated swimming pools on the roofs, spacious green areas and all the necessary facilities such as doctor's offices, shops, schools and leisure facilities.

Alterlaa is considered a milestone in social urban development and is now internationally recognized. Many residents are satisfied with their living situation, although there are challenges in large housing estates. The success factors are diverse: clever architecture, social mix and a balanced range of local amenities and social infrastructure. These ingredients make Alterlaa an exciting model that is now fueling political debates in Berlin.

Swimming pools on high-rise roofs – a vision for Berlin

According to the Berlin Left Party, similar ideas to those in Alterlaa should be pursued in future municipal new building projects. In particular, it is proposed to anchor swimming pools and other communal use options in the building plans. The city of Berlin, similar to Vienna, is faced with the challenge of a tense housing situation with rising rents and a real estate market that is under pressure. KPÖ Vienna describes this as an opportunity to create uses that could also promote social cohesion and increase the quality of life in large cities.

Rainer Hackauf, a KPÖ Liesing district politician, emphasizes that a “Berliner Alterlaa” should not be a copy of the Vienna model, but that central ideas should be taken up and translated into the Berlin context. Quality and social infrastructure must not be left behind. “Community instead of anonymity” and “good jobs through in-house employees” are two of his central demands.

The search for social sustainability in housing

The concept of social sustainability is increasingly turning out to be an important topic in architecture, especially in housing construction. An article on the SozialRaum website highlights current research and shows how structural factors can promote social interaction. Empirical surveys were carried out in Graz to show which aspects are crucial when planning living space. These findings correspond to the principles formulated for sustainable multi-storey housing, which focus on the needs of users and create social space.

• Korrelation zwischen Raum und Aktion: Physischer Raum beeinflusst das soziale Verhalten.
• Der Mensch im Mittelpunkt: Planung sollte die Bedürfnisse der Nutzerinnen und Nutzer in den Fokus stellen.
• Raum für Gemeinsames: Gemeinschaftsflächen fördern soziale Kontakte.
• Flexible und offene Strukturen: Wohnbau sollte anpassungsfähig an sich ändernde Bedürfnisse sein.
• Soziale Benefits als zentraler Mehrwert: Soziale Aspekte sollten in die Planung integriert werden.
• Mehr interdisziplinäre Kooperation: Zusammenarbeit zwischen verschiedenen Disziplinen ist notwendig.

Overall, it is clear that Vienna and Berlin have to deal with the challenges in housing construction in a similar way. The Alterlaa residential park offers both a role model and inspiration for new, innovative solutions and a higher quality of life for all citizens. Building courageously and creating social infrastructure for everyone – that is the challenge of our time. In this sense, it will be exciting to see how the discussions develop and what new projects will emerge from these ideas. SocialSpace notes that The collaboration between architecture and social sciences is becoming increasingly important in order to enable a “good life” in big cities.