Main Objectives of the Project

The main objective of the project is to implement a city district in a co-operative, participatory way which meets ecological, social, economical and cultural requirements such as

• balance of working and living areas,
• balance of social groups,
• division of land into small lots and preferential allocation to private builders and co-operative building projects,
• integration of future building owners,
• conservation of the 60-year-old trees and the biotopes of the bordering creek,
• priority to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport,
• privileges to car-free living,
• co-generation plant and short-distance heating system,
• all buildings constructed at least with improved low energy standard (65 kWh/m²a, calculated similar to the Swiss SIA 380/1 standard and now (2002) standard in whole Germany, but 6 years earlier
• preferences for building owners who reach passive house standard (15 kWh/m² a) in special designed areas,
• extensive use of ecological building material and solar energy,
• infiltration of rainwater into the ground, ecological sanitary systems,
• district centre with shops for the daily needs,
• primary school and kindergardens,
• public green spaces, designed together with the local residents,
• neighbourhood center for social interaction, cultural events etc.,
• diversity of building shapes,
• family and children friendliness.

The aforementioned objectives are implemented as follows:

• in the city's planning process,
• in a co-operative way (working groups, workshops projects jointly run by the City of Freiburg and Forum Vauban),
• through the participation process (see "public dialogue"),
• by private enterprises such as Genova co-operative and Buergerbau AG,
• by private builders and groups of building owners (Baugruppen) and
• by many private non-commercial and commercial initiatives within the district.

Project Structure

Three main acting bodies or institutions connected with Vauban can be identified:

• "Projektgruppe Vauban" (Project Group Vauban), which is the administrative coordination of the local authorities dealing with the Vauban project,
• "Gemeinderätliche AG", which is a committee of the City Council specially dealing with Vauban; within this committee representatives from political parties are discussing the main Vauban issues together with representatives from the administration and further consultative members such as Forum Vauban,
• Forum Vauban, which is the local citizen's association and legal body of the extended participation process and the social work within the district.

"Gemeinderätliche AG" is the main platform for information exchange, discussion and descision preparation (descisions are made by the City Council). Additional, there are regular meetings between members of administration and Forum Vauban. If necessary, further common initiatives such as round tables and workshops are being organized. For the social work (soziale Quartiersarbeit) within the district further special committees were established which include more actors such as the city's welfare institutions. The cooperation is fixed by an agreement between the City of Freiburg and Forum Vauban.

Involved Partners

The City of Freiburg

The entire development of the new city district Vauban is taken over by the City of Freiburg. As soon as it became clear that the french Army would leave the Vauban barack site, the Freiburg City Council decided to commence with the urban development process imediately. This started with the whole planning process including competitions for the urban design concepts as well als the implemantation. The City bought the whole area from the Federal Authorities (20,000,000 €). During the planning process the City opened an extended citizen participation process and supported this process also financially. The City formed its own project team within the Building Department. This team controlls the entire project and coordinates the development of the site as well as developing the infrastructure such as the school and kindergardens. One central task is the sale of the building lots.

The  marketing of the building sites adresses mainly private builders and "Baugruppen" (groups of building owners). Some building companies or commercial developers were also accepted in order to guarantee diversity. This brings a great variety to the potential buyers and allowes an interesting implementation process. One experiences, a pleasent variety in the small scale and the viviality in the first phase of the project - a desired result which couples positive urban design with a high level of quality in life.

The marketing process demanded a high input of the City's staff especially to particular individuals involved.

From the beginning, the City aimed at strengthening social and ecological aspects within Vauban and made them part of the development plan. Through the participation process these demands were refined, developed and made complete.

Forum Vauban

The organisation  Forum Vauban e.V. was founded in 1994 to support the planning and building process of the new city district Freiburg-Vauban which is designed for 5.000 inhabitants. The main fields of activity are:

• Organizing a far-reaching citizen participation.
• Supporting the implementation of community-based building projects such as "Baugruppen" (groups of building owners), co-housing and co-operative building.
• Realisation of a sustainable model district, especially in the fields of traffic and energy.
• Coordination of the social work and implementation of a neighbourhood center

The Forum was initiated by a group of active citizens and recognized as a legal body for the citizen participation by the City of Freiburg in 1995. A small team of full-time professionals as well as an honorary executive board and several working groups contribute to the thematic and organisational work of the association. Forum Vauban is being financed through membership fees, donations, public grants and moderate economic income.

Forum Vauban was founded as an NGO and has non-profit-status. Nevertheless, the association influenced or initiated numerous economic activities.

For example the foundation of the Genova Building co-operative and the Buergerbau AG emerged from the work of Forum Vauban. They now offer services whichoriginally were introduced by Forum Vauban, such as counseling and the formation of "Baugruppen" or co-housing groups.

Other Partners Involved

The building co-operative Vauban,  Genova eG, was founded in 1997. The co-operative has built 36 housing units (10 of which are publicly co-financed flats) in the first development section and another 40 units in the second section.

Genova originated from Forum Vauban. Genova sees itself in the tradition of the classic co-operative goals of responsibility and self-organisation, collective building and living as well as the creation of communal property. Genova emphasis the issue of young and old living together. Furthermore, an ecological and inexpensive building concept was adopted by the members collectively. People of different ages and life-styles as well as socially and financially disadvantaged people are all integrated into the project. The residents actively participate in the planning process - both where the architecture (orientation and design of the buildings, facades, colors, etc.) and the basic plans for the individual apartments are concerned. The participation takes the form of residents' meetings, workshops, a co-operative council, and also residents' representatives on the management team. The financial risks involved in the project are shared by all members from the very beginning.

The first two four-storey apartment buildings with 36 housing units (from 44 m² to 157 m² ) were finished in August 1999. Additional to this, a 50-m²-large communal house, a rentable guestroom and a communal laundry were built. The access galleries, a bridge connecting both houses, the gardens and also the nearby lane developed into attractive semi-public spaces creating a special neighbourhood atmosphere.

The  Buergerbau AG (Citizens' Building Stock Corporation) has specialized to coordinate community building projects. The corporation offers all kinds of services, starting with the development of the project and continuing with the planning and building process. It's the job of the company to care about almost everything until the builders move into their new homes. Buergerbau AG also originated from Forum Vauban.

The most important services of Buergerbau AG are:

• Looking for appropriate settings and development of the community building project.
• Advertising until all members of the group of future building owners (Baugruppe) are found.
• Being a continuous and reliable guide for the whole group and open for all kinds of questions during the planning and building process.
• Taking care for the professional implementation of the community building project.
• Controlling (costs, schedule, quality),
• Responsibility for financing and for the accounts of the project.

In Vauban, Buergerbau AG currently is managing 5 Baugruppen with 68 households.

Further Partners are

•  Oeko-Institut - Institut für angewandte Oekologie (Institute for applied Ecology),
•  ICLEI's International Training Centre (ITC),
• Freiburger Energie- und Wasserversorgungs-AG (Freiburg's public utilities FEW), now changed the name to  badenova
• Freiburger Auto-Gemeinschaft  FAG (Freiburg's Car Sharing Association),
• Passivehouse  Wohnen & Arbeiten (Co-Housing Initiative "Living and Working) was the first passivehouse in Germany as a multi-family-house.
• and approximately another 30 "Baugruppen" (private co-housing associations) and Co-Housing Initiatives.