Community centres in increasingly diverse neighbourhoods
This paper uses research conducted in Swiss post-war high-rise estates to focus on policies and practices of community building in neighbourhoods with an increasingly diverse population. Initially, the estates were mainly populated by Swiss and Southern European lower to middle income families, but...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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DINÂMIA’CET – IUL, Centre for Socioeconomic and Territorial Studies
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Cidades, Comunidades e Território |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/cidades/5160 |
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| _version_ | 1850130427291893760 |
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| author | Eveline Althaus Liv Christensen |
| author_facet | Eveline Althaus Liv Christensen |
| author_sort | Eveline Althaus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper uses research conducted in Swiss post-war high-rise estates to focus on policies and practices of community building in neighbourhoods with an increasingly diverse population. Initially, the estates were mainly populated by Swiss and Southern European lower to middle income families, but latterly the household structures have become very heterogeneous with residents coming from all over the world. The planning and development policies of the estates are based on specific ideas about creating a community, which are still evident in the building and management of community centres but also in various facilities for common use (playgrounds, football and sport fields, community rooms and kitchens, libraries, petting zoos, cafés, crafts rooms, etc.). The community centres, along with community work, are key to encouraging encounters, connecting people and activating cultural life in the neighbourhoods and have played a pioneering role far beyond the boundaries of their respective estates. However, individualisation and pluralisation processes, the aging of the facilities and built structures, and economic pressures pose challenges for the community centres. The current Covid-19 crisis reinforces these challenges by limiting and impeding cultural activities and direct (physical) social encounters. The paper analyses the potential and the challenges of community building in the context of growing diversity among residents, and acknowledges what we can learn from these experiences when thinking about creating and strengthening communities in a multi-faceted world today. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dc8e51aed6634801b5b95dcef86f5422 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2182-3030 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | DINÂMIA’CET – IUL, Centre for Socioeconomic and Territorial Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cidades, Comunidades e Território |
| spelling | doaj-art-dc8e51aed6634801b5b95dcef86f54222025-08-20T02:32:42ZengDINÂMIA’CET – IUL, Centre for Socioeconomic and Territorial StudiesCidades, Comunidades e Território2182-30302022-04-01Community centres in increasingly diverse neighbourhoodsEveline AlthausLiv ChristensenThis paper uses research conducted in Swiss post-war high-rise estates to focus on policies and practices of community building in neighbourhoods with an increasingly diverse population. Initially, the estates were mainly populated by Swiss and Southern European lower to middle income families, but latterly the household structures have become very heterogeneous with residents coming from all over the world. The planning and development policies of the estates are based on specific ideas about creating a community, which are still evident in the building and management of community centres but also in various facilities for common use (playgrounds, football and sport fields, community rooms and kitchens, libraries, petting zoos, cafés, crafts rooms, etc.). The community centres, along with community work, are key to encouraging encounters, connecting people and activating cultural life in the neighbourhoods and have played a pioneering role far beyond the boundaries of their respective estates. However, individualisation and pluralisation processes, the aging of the facilities and built structures, and economic pressures pose challenges for the community centres. The current Covid-19 crisis reinforces these challenges by limiting and impeding cultural activities and direct (physical) social encounters. The paper analyses the potential and the challenges of community building in the context of growing diversity among residents, and acknowledges what we can learn from these experiences when thinking about creating and strengthening communities in a multi-faceted world today.https://journals.openedition.org/cidades/5160local initiativescommunity buildingcollective spaceshigh-rise housing estatespost-war Switzerland |
| spellingShingle | Eveline Althaus Liv Christensen Community centres in increasingly diverse neighbourhoods Cidades, Comunidades e Território local initiatives community building collective spaces high-rise housing estates post-war Switzerland |
| title | Community centres in increasingly diverse neighbourhoods |
| title_full | Community centres in increasingly diverse neighbourhoods |
| title_fullStr | Community centres in increasingly diverse neighbourhoods |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community centres in increasingly diverse neighbourhoods |
| title_short | Community centres in increasingly diverse neighbourhoods |
| title_sort | community centres in increasingly diverse neighbourhoods |
| topic | local initiatives community building collective spaces high-rise housing estates post-war Switzerland |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/cidades/5160 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT evelinealthaus communitycentresinincreasinglydiverseneighbourhoods AT livchristensen communitycentresinincreasinglydiverseneighbourhoods |