A Tour through Zollfreilager

On World Habitat Day the Zurich Tenants Assosiation will show, how to secure non for profit housing in a global city. With the concrete example of the Zollfreilager the association will show on October 1^st, that such a model can be easily realised in the whole city, but that legally binding city planning is necessary to obtain a sustainable social mix in the city.

Like everywhere in the globalising world in Zurich non for profit housing is vanishing due to reconstruction and demolition of affordable units. Zurich, up to now known for its unique 25% share in communal and cooperative housing, is extending its global city status to the housing sector: While private investors are building most profitable houses and offices in a city plagued by a never ending housing crises, the city itself runs out of land to create more space for not-for-profit housing.

Thats why the tenants association of Zurich is claiming not only to prescribe legally a housing contingent for all zones (as it is practiced already), but also to fix a contingent of 25% of non profit housing in new housing zones to secure the 100 years old tradition of cooperative and communal housing in Zurich. The World Habitat Day is a good date and the Zollfreilager in Zurich a good example to demonstrate, how this could work: The once industrial Zollfreilager (duty free warehouse), an area of 700 000 m², is to be zoned into a housing area and studies of the landowners show, that on the emerging new 100 000 m² of floor space almost 1 000 flats could be built. This would mean, that almost 250 flats can be created for lower income tenants. As one of the land co-owners is the pension fund of the city of Zurich cooperation is facilitated on this spot. With a guided tour through the area and a following discussion the Tenants Association is introducing a new issue into the political agenda of the City of Zurich and a practical project to be realised.

October 1^st program:

18.00 Guided tour through the Zollfreilager
Meeting point: Bus/Tram-station Siemens

19.00: Apro
Community Center Bachwiesen, Bachwiesenstrasse

19.30: Podium discussion
Community Center Bachwiesen