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Meeting-places
Some of the countries described have a long-standing tradition for
public meeting-places, while in others, people mainly meet in commercial
premises - cafes and restaurants, for example. Irrespective of the
predominant culture, it has been found that places where people can
get together are essential for building up networks and organising
residents. Places are needed where residents can meet the planners
and obtain advice and guidance, but places are also needed where residents
can meet on their own terms. Lack of investment and empty buildings
are evident in many rundown neighbourhoods, and such buildings could
obviously be used as communal meeting-places. We have seen very successful
use of existing buildings - schools, churches, old factories and similar.
- Meeting-places must be created and managed by the user groups
themselves.
- A range of different meeting places is needed in the same area.
The different nationalities and generations have different wishes
and needs.
- Old buildings provide good, central frameworks in neighbourhoods.
- The use of such meeting-places changes overtime, so flexibility
must be built into them.
A school as the meeting-place for old and young alike
In future, it is not only children that will be using the school
in Nijmegen
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In Nijmegen in the Netherlands the local school is being transformed
into a meeting-place for adults and young people. Plans for a major
conversion include rooms for computer studies and language classes,
a theatre workshop and much, much more.
The idea is to gather existing activities in one place.
Meeting places for ethnic minorities
A lavender glade has been planned in cooperation with Turkish
women
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In the Netherlands, special meeting-places
have been established for ethnic minorities. One example is
a lavender glade in Deventer, where Turkish women meet in
the mornings. Another is a club in Bijlmermeer for older men
from Surinam.
In both cases, the users themselves have been made responsible
for operating and maintaining the premises.
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Youth centre in an old school building
Castlemilk Youth Complex
Collage from the youth centre's cafe
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Castlemilk Youth Complex is a youth club for teenagers and young
people from 12 to 25 years. The centre was opened in 1994. Its core
is an old gym hall that has undergone a £1 million conversion. The
building contains sound studios, multimedia facilities, a theatre,
a discotheque and a cafe. In addition, the centre offers educational
programmes and childcare. The Scottish Office and Glasgow City Council
fund it. The annual operating costs are approx. DKK 4 million and
there are 17 employees. The centre is managed 100% by the young people
themselves.
Arts centre in converted cinema
The new meeting place in the suburb of Plagwitz
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In Plagwitz an old cinema, Schauböhne am Lindenfeld, has been converted
for other use. As in all other cities, it could not survive as a cinema.
Today, it is used as an arts centre. It still has a small cinema,
but has many other facilities as well, including a cafe and a theatre.
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