Spatial and atmospheric design
The spatial and atmospheric design and furnishing of the Common Space is an important precondition for its success. Architecture is developed together with social, digital and ecological innovations. The design must be of high quality and welcoming, but at the same time robust and functional for multiple uses. A high degree of flexibility is achieved via a modular structure, changeable space configurations, differentiation of functional areas, and the creation of communication zones and rest areas. The design of the buildings also implements principles of a circular economy. The construction and equipment of the buildings are designed from renewable raw materials and energies and are completely degradable.

Multiple uses
A specific spatial design is needed to adapt to multiple uses. The Common Spaces provide digital and analogue infrastructure. They do not address a private, defined group of users, but the entire city. This expansion to an open circle of users creates a multitude of synergies and potentials and forms the basis for rethinking the public space offered in our cities. Spaces for production, workshops, digital fab labs, leisure spaces, and places for sales and trade expand the existing public infrastructure with new possibilities. Common Spaces thus belong to a new type of public spaces, building on existing typologies and categories of spaces and reconceptualising them.

Community-oriented organisation and administration
The inclusive community-oriented organisation and administration of the Common Spaces plays a key role in enabling them to develop their quality and acceptance in operation. The organisation is set up along clear terms of use based on the idea of the common good. These conditions of use put focus on individual users and small local businesses, companies, associations, NGOs and communities and make purely profit-oriented uses of the Common Spaces difficult. By providing necessary materials, technologies, tools and equipment on site, use of the Common Space should be kept as simple and low-threshold as possible. The legal framework should cover hygiene and labour law requirements for the rooms, equipment or safety facilities. The focus lies on creating synergies, for example if an association takes over the management and operation of a common space and in return uses the rooms and equipment for its own purposes. Although it is important that the space remains open to the public.

Quality control
Long term quality control, as well as stable and permanent financial support will be an important task for the public sector, so that the Common Spaces function in the long term. The aim is for each Common Space to have a source of income as part of its operating concept, so that financing is not completely dependent on the public sector. The sources of income could be gastronomic offers, chargeable services and services that contribute to covering the operating costs. Partnership-based operating models, where the operators ensure the care, maintenance and management of the Common Spaces and make them accessible to the public are promising. Subsidies serve as incentives for quality assurance – according to the motto: Public Money for Public Good.

Common Space Typologies

Common Spaces are laid over the existing city as a new layer and unfold their effectiveness step by step. The aim is to change our built environment. Common Spaces exist in different spatial constellations: From small-scale, neighbourhood spaces to larger centres – so-called Common Space Hubs – which often bundle specific uses of space and create synergies. These Common Space Hubs develop a district-wide significance thanks to their spatial offer in combination with high-quality furnishings. Common Spaces can be newly built or use existing buildings and spaces such as markets, production facilities, warehouses, offices, social housing or leisure facilities and bring them to new life after a comprehensive reorganisation and redesign. We examined a few examples.

Common Space Workshop

An increasing number of people is engaged in crafting, repairing goods and the DIY culture. Today there are several private initiatives spread across the city, many of them struggling with financial issues, administrational problems or a lack of space. Most of these small workshops are dependent on the private commitment of the people who run the facilities. This is why the use of these facilities is often connected with a costly membership, long waiting lists, limited opening hours or long travel distances. However, a centrally organized network of connected large-scale workshops that are well-equipped, easily accessible and affordable is missing in most towns. Implementing the new typology of the Common Space Workshop can thus support existing initiatives, facilitate awareness for the circular economy and promote the diy-culture and people active in the creative businesses.

Common Space Market

Small scale farming can hardly compete with the mass production of goods in a global scale. However, local markets offer crucial financial opportunities for small scale farmers and producers to make a living. Markets have always been a venue, where not only goods, but also knowledge, cultures, news and social contacts have been exchanged. While being „infrastructure“, markets always play an important role as low-threshold social hotspots. The typology of the Common Space Market is therefore fundamental for sustaining nearby food production and developing and sharing knowledge about agriculture, landscapes and food.

Common Space New Work

In most cities and especially Vienna, there is a broad variety of privately run co-working facilities, ranging from a very intimate atmosphere to huge open plan offices. Most of them offer flexible accessibility and a well equipped working environment, however, looking at the map, most of them are located close to the city centre and asking for very high rates. More affordable spaces or such located less concentrated are vitally harder to find. In contrary to that, the City of Vienna provides a well spread, very popular network of adult education centers, called Volkshochschulen. The Common Space Typologies seeks to combine various shared work environments with educational facilities and make it accessible to all.