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You're there / you're not there
You're there / you're not there
You're there ... aren't you there?
You are a feeling and a space
in my head there is no fence.
I hardly ever think of you
but the narrowness makes me feel how important you are for me.
You are space, a meeting place; you are recreation
you're simply life and often I don't just come because of you.
How open you are ... is that for me to decide? -- I mean, it's not only about me.
You might only be a dream -- but for me you exist --
you are my „Freiraum".
TOWNS / COUNTRIES / RIVERS
3 countries, 1 region, 1 living space -- the Rhine Valley.
More than 450,000 people live here in villages and smaller towns
that have grown together over decades of ongoing urban sprawl.
Watched from above it looks like a garden city with green spaces scattered all around.
But the landscape is also cut up and fragmented.
Streets and highways carve like pulsating vessels through fields and farmlands,
connecting and separating at the same time... in the sea of property.
The Rhine Valley has developed into a mosaic of habitation, work and recreation.
It is an urbanised landscape -- neither town nor countryside -- and thus calls for mobility.
(Head of the planning department) If you look down on the Rhine Valley, you can see a continuously spread out settlement.
Does it follow any structure?
If you drive through the Rhine Valley it's really hard to tell where a village begins and where it ends.
There are lots of spaces in between of which you don't really know where they belong to.
This "in-betweenness" calls for action to further urbanise the region.
But for now, this sense of urbanity only exists in the heads of people.
In fact, the locals are still rather "rural-minded".
Personally I'd call it an urban-regional rather than a genuinely urban space.
It's probably true that the region lacks a certain sense of urbanity.
When the question of urbanity pops up,
it's not a question of high buildings or skyscrapers but of diversity.
It's the diversity of opinion that might fall somewhat short around here.
(HEAD OF THE REGIONAL VISION PROCESS) But what is possible in this "Zwischenstadt," this urban sprawl?
You can also ask yourself: What is possible here? In sense of spaces of possibilities?
In this part of the Rhine Valley we have an entirely different situation
from that in traditional industrial areas in Germany for example.
In Vorarlberg there are no vast fallow lands, so the possibilities to create new spaces are somewhat limited.
The region, however, knows a rather dynamic growth, so it follows a different logic.
Yet we still have such „Freiräume," such spaces of possibilities,
albeit in different quantities and qualities..
Where are the green spaces?
Only due to a low density of construction you can see lot of green spaces today.
These green areas should be valued just as highly as the built-up space.
Today, however, we often merely talk about the residential zones
and come up with new plans for the already built-up areas.
Looking back at the seventies and eighties,
one must admit that many areas were wrongly planned and organised.
The desire for a privately owned home and a garden, one's own private space,
dispelled the idea of a commonly used space.
It sometimes even undermined a more sensitive approach to nature.
Currently we still face the challenge to counteract this desire for individual ownership,
the desire to amass all sorts of things on your privately owned property, including green space.
As a result of the ongoing trend to own your individual home,
the number of open spaces is decreasing.
It is common practice to clearly delineate your own space, no matter how small it is.
Nonetheless I still believe that open spaces in the alpine region are very diverse and attractive.
I think that we have to re-focus on the public space,
which, of course, implies stronger participation of the population.
What we need, in fact, is participatory planning which thinks beyond the current generation.
We should make plans that look ahead, considering at least three to four future generations.
And we should not only make them but also live up to them.
"Vision Rhine Valley" (dedicated to participatory planning for the region) springs from two fundamental developments:
For one, the villages have merged.
If you drive from north to south it's difficult to identify the municipal boundaries.
It is more like a continuous ribbon of settlements from north to south.
The second development is that we don't cover our basic needs in our hometown anymore.
I work in Bregenz, live in Dornbirn and spend my free time at the Rhine in Lustenau, for example.
People do this more and more, and they also cross national borders.
Our range of action transcends the individual hometown.
"Vision Rhine Valley" has thus taken the following slogan:
29 villages -- one living space.
The Rhine Valley consists of course of both - the Austrian and the Swiss borders of the Rhine.
And sometime in the future we might also call it:
Many villages -- one living space.
What I've learnt from this project is that
communication and participation keeps it alive, not top-down structures.
The land destination plan defines open spaces as areas with no special dedication.
But "Freiraum" is much more than just a non-built-up spot of land.
Open spaces are public spaces in which life crystallises:
recreational environments, youth centres and places that are frequented by the young,
as well as spaces dedicated to art and culture.
From a psychological point of view,
"Freiraum" also refers to the possibility for a human being to perceive their own identity and discover their personality.
Every human being should have this opportunity.
Today's society, however, increasingly relies upon (self)control.
Notions such as security and surveillance have come to play an important role in our daily lives.
We try to manage risks through recourse to technology.
It is estimated that over 250,000 private surveillance cameras are monitoring Austrian public spaces. The exact number is unknown as only a small fraction of them is officially registered.
Many surveillance cameras, prohibitive signs and increasing security checks reflect what's going on in the public space today.
Security has become a business.
The high demand of private security companies account to this development,
which is also the result of an ongoing commercialisation of public spaces.
In addition, the construction of ever-larger shopping malls undermines the character of urban public spaces,
severely limiting public accessibility due to property rights and house rules.
But the public space has always been subject to societal control.
Intolerable behaviour has always been banned from public spaces as a means of social self-control.
A successful public space, however, should allow people to freely express themselves.
So respect, tolerance and diversity are fundamental factors.
This is especially important for people who haven't found their place in society yet.
It is crucial that they feel welcome so that the public space becomes truly "open."
(DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE LIECHTENSTEIN)
How do I define "Freiraum"?
I think there are a lot of different levels to consider.
For one, I am fortunate enough to live in a country and also in a society and culture
which allows me to think freely and to say what I want.
On another level, being the director of the National Theatre here in Liechtenstein,
the theatre also offers such a space:
It provides a stage to rethink things and try out something new.
Of course, I suppose that in the streets you'd actually have the possibility to do much more,
but one must acknowledge that on the stage you're indeed a bit freer.
Together with the artists we collectively try to create something new,
something that I couldn't do alone, something that the artist couldn't do alone.
Something we do here at the TAK (the National Theatre in Liechtenstein):
We use the foyer because it is an interesting place between the stage and the public space.
It's a space where artists and the audience can meet.
And in this case the audience acts extremely openly and liberally.
I think that a vivid and diverse cultural scene needs some sort of urbanity.
I think the possibilities to express yourself freely are extremely limited in the public space,
because you always have the feeling of being observed.
Some things are tolerated, others are not, you want to please, you don't want to stand out too much, etc.
And I really think that we need people who simply go out,
knowing that they'll meet somebody on the way and then just see what's going to happen in the streets.
People in Liechtenstein always have to cross the border to experience that.
(HEAD OF THE CULTURE INITATIVE) To me, a "Freiraum"is a space that is not limited;
a space that is fully accessible, not dangerous,
not surrounded by traffic and noise, a space, finally,
that is not ruled by anybody.
The only rule being, perhaps, that you respect each other and don't go on each other's nerves.
I'm especially troubled with the current traffic situation.
In the past the streets were open spaces for everyone;
today, however, they are open spaces solely for motorised traffic
in general, has come to dominate all other forms of mobility.
I think this is wrong. It totally restricts the people's freedoms,
especially for our children, who, after all, are part of our society as well.
So streets are no open spaces anymore.
We also have to consider cultural spaces.
Today there is a wider cultural range to choose from,
but the quantity and quality of the cultural spaces themselves has not increased.
And of course we also have to think of those spaces which allow people to create something from themselves, independent of institutionalised cultural initiatives.
As the creation of an autonomous cultural centre in the Rhine Valley has failed for now,
all that we are left with are institutionalised cultural spaces.
Cultural initiatives seek to create open spaces and invite people to get active and engage.
But that's not enough.
To me, there is a lack of cultural spheres that, in other parts of the word,
have proven to be thrilling and exciting, a *** scene, for example.
A vivid *** scene implies a certain openness.
It's the direct opposite of a bourgeois narrow-mindedness
which only tolerates that which is the same.
It's more like a signal; a signal that people have a "Freiraum,"
a space open to them, no matter what *** and cultural preferences they have.
And we know that a *** scene enriches the cultural life in many ways.
CO-FOUNDER OF THE TOMORROWLAND FESTIVAL (FL)
What is "Freiraum" to me?
That's exciting because there are two opposing elements within the word itself.
"Frei" means free, without borders -- "Raum" is space, and space is limited.
"Freiraum" for me means that you can be yourself in your social environment,
and that it invites you to come up with new ideas.
And "Freiraum" allows you to make the best out of your life and your environment.
Oh yeah, the Morgenland Festival:
There are different ideas behind that.
One thing was to focus on sustainability and invite the leading thinkers to Liechtenstein,
so that people -- as many people as possible --
can come together and engage in meaningful discussions.
That's one thing. What's more, a festival is always also a timeout,
a "Freiraum," so to speak.
At its best, a festival is a place where you can have a good time
and get away from it all and leave behind social pressures and norms.
That's why we said:
Please, leave your ties at home.
We didn't want to create a hierarchy.
We wanted people to sit next to each other and spend time together.
Of course we could have had a series of lectures, but no,
we wanted to have a festival.
Because a festival allows for much more open space -- and possibilities.
The Morgenland Festival, the Benefactum Club and the Ideenkanal (festival of ideas) should serve as a platform to create such open spaces,
spaces for new ideas, and also encourage new forms of collaboration between the different actors in the Rhine Valley.
To create a future that is worth living in -- for all the people on this planet
because that should always be the intention:
We cannot realise our own little paradise here, but we have to say:
a liveable future for everybody on this planet
-- for this to happen, we need spaces of possibilities,
spaces to think and feel, where you can get in touch with the problems.
You have to be open and become aware of the problems.
And then, if you have reached that awareness, you have to fight for places and spaces
where we can collaborate and co-create together.
We have to be able to think about concrete solutions and turn the world upside-down.
Because the way we organise our economy today, the way we trade and act, the things that seem right for us today,
that cannot be it, because it is this behavior which brings about our current problems to being with.
Children and adolescents do not only learn in institutions like schools,
but also in their own surroundings, their own spaces,
in the streets of their districts, in local recreation areas, and, above all, in the public space.
The public encourages social learning;
it teaches tolerance and familiarises us with the unfamiliar.
However, young people are often blamed for exhibiting an inappropriate behaviour in the public space.
They are accused of disturbing a society's ideal image of itself.
But those who lodge these accusations often ignore the difference between rebellious and creative behaviour.
In fact, to chill out and hang around with friends can be so much more than just a senseless pastime.
(LOCAL POLITICIAN & ACTIVIST) It has always been important that the field be open for experiments;
that people can try out something new.
But today the problem is that we tend to realise projects, whereas the result is known from the beginning.
For us it was important to have fields for experimentation,
to have mental and spatial "Freiräume" for our experiments.
The young claim the public space, and rightly so, as long they are not involved in the concrete plannings.
We did a participatory planning in collaboration with adolescents and architects
here the young could voice their needs and ideas.
In the end, it's not that there are no spaces left;
it's just that they are deeply affected by the conceptions and ideas of the adults.
What's been done in the fields of street work and cultural work so far?
Well, what we achieved is to create an interdisciplinary centre for culture and communication called "Transmitter".
It includes an open-air space, lots of production workshops,
radio and all sorts of crossover projects with the fine arts,
so that we can also use different locations.
We have to remember that during the seventies and eighties
there was a big movement here in Vorarlberg,
reaching even the remotest areas of the region.
You could feel an atmosphere of resistance against the conservative narrow-mindedness.
Initiatives and empowerment movements sprang up everywhere.
But if I look back on the past years now I must say:
The insubordinates and rebels seem to have gone.
Today you don't even ask any more about the need or purpose of an action or an initiative.
Today it's all about the money.
First you must beg for funds and then you are overly tame because you always have to fight your own existential fears.
And so you do not really participate in socio-political discourse anymore.
My favourite open space is the skate park.
It's a meeting place for people who share the same interests.
And it's a place in town where you can go without having to fear
that you might end up destroying someone's property.
So you can avoid trouble.
It's not all about partying and stuff like that.
To me it's some sort of freedom to come here with my skateboard after work;
to have a place where I can go and ride my board without getting into any kind of trouble.
What's really important for you is to reclaim the public space.
Don't be overly impressed by the executive forces.
What's important is solidarity, life, being together,
creating media and projects together. Outside of the norm.
It is only through experience that we can learn and grow.
There is scientific proof that being near water and moving outdoors helps you feel good about yourself.
I think that we have to concentrate on this.
We need to reinforce a discourse on the values of our green spaces and recreational areas.
Even if they have no financial value, they are essential for our personal and social well-being,
and at the end of the day they express a quality of life.
Once people have reached a certain awareness of what it means to have open spaces,
to have untouched natural spaces,
then the politicians have to participate in the discussion and strive to protect these open areas.
Another thing is to find a balance between protection and public use.
From my point of view we need both.
We need spaces that are left entirely in the hands of nature
where plants and animals can live in their natural habitat
but we also need spaces in nature where human use and protection aren't opposing ideas.
I also think that the River Rhine has a huge potential for the whole region.
The river could again become a vital lifeline for the valley and people could start using it for recreational purposes.
So, if you give some land back to the river, then we all would have more space for recreation,
outdoor activities and enjoying nature.
This would also be a chance to give room back to the local flora and fauna.
If we talk about what will happen if we continue like this,
I'm afraid that in a time frame of, let's say, 10, 20 or even 50 years,
today's planning policy will transform a once richly green landscape with lots of cultivated land into a typically Swiss urban agglomeration.
All land will be densely covered by buildings, the green areas and the formerly untouched nature will be diminished to a minimum,
all of which is closely linked to economic growth.
The question remains, however,
whether the ideal of relentless growth will not eventually turn against us.
I believe that the more land is covered with buildings,
the more our quality of life will suffer.
We will simply have run out of places to relax and regain our strengths.
Freiräume are places to consider.
Now that consumption, stress and excessive labour have come to dominate our daily lives,
it's time to think about the shape our "tomorrow land" could take
and what we must do so as not to turn it into a place that allegedly generates growth and prosperity...
-- at the expense of us all.
We also need spaces of possibilities to come up with new ideas.
How we do that, that's a different story.