Support the Frankfurt Declaration (on Housing)
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On the occasion of the 20th DOCOMOMO Germany Conference on Politics – Society – Housing, the Frankfurt Declaration is presented.
This event focused on the topic of affordable housing and equally of healthy living and quality of living environments. With a view on the Modernist housing estates (e.g. New Frankfurt, Berlin Housing Estates, White City of Tel Aviv) in the 1920s and 1930s and the large housing estates of the 1950s to 1970s the question arose which processes and mechanisms led to the great success at that time.
Knowing that we are facing similar challenges today, the Frankfurt Declaration is an appeal to the people of Germany, Europe and beyond. It appeals to the actors in politics, business and society, and in particular cities and municipalities to implementing relevant goals, proposals and measures.
- Activating the great inherent potential of the building stock is a contribution to achieving climate protection goals as well as to improving the housing shortage.
- The preservation, maintenance, redevelopment, and densification of the inner-city housing stock and existing housing estates as well as the construction of new neighbourhoods must link city and open space together for preserving as well as developing high-quality living and public spaces while taking into account the public good and examining the social and ecological impacts as well as the architectural heritage.
- Historic preservation and urban development are not contradictory elements, but shall be carefully considered as an opportunity to jointly use existing qualities and potentials of the building stock for urban development, according to the credo: “Preservation through weiterbauen”
- Housing in existing and new neighborhoods must once again be seen – and financed – as a municipal, public and social responsibility.
- The promotion of non-profit or cooperative initiatives must be stimulated and simplified in regulatory terms.
- The speculation with land and housing must be restricted at national and European level and the acquisition of residential property based on leasehold models must be simplified.
- We are committed to the goals of the demolition moratorium which prioritizes preservation, renovation, conversion and continuous improvement in existing buildings before demolition and new construction, combined with further measures and initiatives to bring about a building turnaround.
- We support the initiative of Architects 4 Future to strive for a model conversion ordinance with the aim of giving conversion priority over new construction, and also taking this into account with all ordinances and regulations in the building industry.
Our credo is: Nothing is worthless! Everything can be further recycled! Existing methods, tools and regulations must be further developed so this becomes daily practice.
The Frankfurt Declaration was initially signed on April 28, St. Paulskirche, Frankfurt by DOCOMOMO Deutschland e.V., ernst-may-gesellschaft e.V., Deutschem Architekturmuseum (DAM), DOCOMOMO International, Institut für Designstrategien (IDS) Detmold, Forschungslabor Nachkriegsmoderne Frankfurt together with the COST Action Middle Class Mass Housing (MCMH-EU).
