At a time when a lot of experiments of shared space are being invented in European cities, Apur and the Urban School of Sciences Po -École Urbaine de Sciences Po- propose here an overview of these initiatives and focus their analysis more particularly on 4 exemplary operations.
What role can shared spaces play in social housing projects in terms of increasing the surface area and services available to residents? How can positive approbation be encouraged and guarantee their functioning? What are the effects on social cohesion and the image of social housing?
About a hundred, recently delivered housing projects featuring shared spaces in eleven European countries were identified. This survey sheds light on the variety of spaces created (multi-purpose room, laundry room, DIY workshop, sports room, guest room, etc.), but also the uneven distribution across countries and cultures. This international perspective makes it possible to explore other approaches to the designing, financing and management of these spaces, which are extremely common in certain countries while they remain more rare in France.
4 examples were studied in more detail, based on field visits and interviews in Milan, Geneva, Le Havre and Vienna. The cross-referenced analysis enabled numerous pieces of information to be identified related to the favourable conditions for their creation and functioning, their benefits for residents and social landlords as well as the difficulties they've encountered.
