Asphalt to green courtyard
As background for the guide, we conducted a courtyard survey on residents of apartment buildings. Of the residents of the apartment buildings in Helsinki who participated in our survey, 57.9% believe that there is room for improvement in their own courtyard. Whether you live in a block in the inner city or an apartment building in the suburbs, this guide encourages residents of apartment buildings and housing companies to make their courtyards greener. We can develop and merge house-specific courtyards into one large courtyard. Courtyards like this are becoming increasingly popular around the world in many cities, as the appreciation of green urban space is on the rise.
In the inner city, enclosed blocks form large courtyards that naturally transform into large shared courtyards for the entire block. Outside the inner city, courtyards of apartment buildings are diverse, and all of them can be developed into block courtyards. However, before courtyards that have remained the same for decades merge, residents and decision-makers in housing companies need to have a shared will and some gumption.
Today, many apartment building courtyards are grim. The courtyards have lots of fences, asphalt, rubbish bins and often also parked cars and bicycles, and not so many residents. These things are clearly connected. If the yard is renovated to make it greener and comfortable spaces are added, it will start to attract residents. A thriving and well-implemented block courtyard offers a wide range of benefits for the well-being of residents, the urban environment and, ultimately, also for the financial calculations of housing companies.
As background for the guide, we conducted a courtyard survey on residents of apartment buildings. Of the residents of the apartment buildings in Helsinki who participated in our survey, 57.9% believe that there is room for improvement in their own courtyard. Whether you live in a block in the inner city or an apartment building in the suburbs, this guide encourages residents of apartment buildings and housing companies to make their courtyards greener. We can develop and merge house-specific courtyards into one large courtyard. Courtyards like this are becoming increasingly popular around the world in many cities, as the appreciation of green urban space is on the rise.
According to the survey, many people are interested in block courtyards. 61.9% of the respondents welcomed the idea of combining courtyards, and 24.7% considered it possible. Many reported that advice and an operating model are needed for the creation of a block courtyard.
This guide will hopefully respond to these needs.
The guide is divided into three phases:
Phase 1 encourages residents to contact their neighbours and foster a constructive spirit in their own building. Improving the atmosphere can start with discussing the courtyard with neighbours and mapping their wishes for the courtyard, for example. Some ideas will be possible to implement quickly and with little effort.
In phase 2, we will look out across the boundaries of our own property and meet our block neighbours living in neighbouring buildings. To strengthen the collective spirit, residents of the block and housing companies can perform activities together and try out a variety of ways of doing things together: organise summer flower planting bees, for example, organise a harvest festival in the courtyard or install temporary gates on the fences within the block to facilitate movement in the courtyard. As residents gradually become convinced of the benefits of collaboration, interest in the block courtyard will increase.
Phase 3 aims to establish the block courtyard. Now is the time to bring up combining functions, which will save costs and free up space. Planning a block courtyard requires that housing companies commit to the creation of a common courtyard area and a new kind of division of responsibilities. Smart block courtyards are designed on the basis of the wishes of the residents from the start: in this way, the shared courtyard can accommodate many useful areas and activities.