The Governance of Wellbeing-Producing Shared Spaces in the Housing Cooperative Saarlandstrasse in Hamburg, Germany

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial and institutional conditions facilitating sustainable wellbeing in the housing cooperative Saarlandstrasse in Hamburg, Germany, where residents derive social, emotional, and physical wellbeing from shared spaces. Like other commons, these spaces require sustained cooperation to ensure their long-term viability. How can cooperation be stabilized over time? Drawing on Common Pool Resource (CPR) theory, we argue that the German housing cooperative statute operationalizes CPR governance principles, thereby helping to stabilize cooperation among residents. To explore this proposition, we use a mixed-methods case study of Hamburg’s first car-free housing settlement. Data include surveys from 25 households (51% response rate), interviews, and field material collected between 2020 and 2024. Deductive framework analysis of statute and governance practices indicated substantial alignment with Ostrom’s CPR principles, alongside high wellbeing and cooperation: 96% of respondents reported regular interactions with neighbours, 92% considered the complex easy to relax in, 92% reported feeling healthy, and 96% participated in at least one working group. Green areas and the common room emerged as the spaces most strongly associated with wellbeing practices and cooperative maintenance. The case illustrates how shared spaces can support wellbeing through stabilized cooperation, acting as both outcomes and drivers of collective action.