In 2012, the International Building Exhibition (IBA) Thuringia was initiated, ending in 2023. Together with cities and municipalities, governmental bodies,  supervisory and advisory boards, companies, associations, cooperatives, private initiatives, and individuals, it has developed resource-conscious projects with values that are oriented towards the common good in and for Thuringia: innovative, experimental, and exemplary. About 1,400 people belong to the narrower and more extended IBA network. IBA’s experiences, findings and recommendations are summarised in the following position paper, which will be presented in the Thuringian Parliament on 18 October 2023. It addresses politicians and the administration of the Free State of Thuringia as well as important allies in the development of the country. The IBA Advisory Board was involved in its elaboration.

From June to September 2023, the Thuringian IBA stakeholders exchanged views with over 600 actors in a multi-part debate format on the future of rural spaces. This StadtLand Forum [Urban-Rural Forum] was organised by the IBA Thüringen [IBA in Thuringia] and the Wüstenrot Foundation. The forums were a supra regional platform and place of learning in one and an important milestone for the StadtLand Position Paper.

 

The Thuringian settlement structure is small-scale, historically rich and scenically beautiful. About 90 percent of the country can be characterised as rural. The IBA Thüringen calls this StadtLand. The occasions for holding an International Building Exhibition resulted from the unequal demographic development between the city and countryside, as well as from structural and climate change processes. They condensed in the course of the IBA under the influence of mutually reinforcing crises, affecting the city and the countryside alike. Furthermore, they range from the regional level up to the global ­scale. Instead of obsolete contrasts between the city and countryside, the IBA ­has looked at the linkages. StadtLand as practiced by the IBA Thüringen subverts the hierarchical gradient from the centre to the surrounding area and to the periphery, where the countryside was very often on the losing side. Today, it becomes clear that the mutual playing off between cities and countryside is no longer a factual or political option. Equitable, balanced urban and rural spatial development is part of the planetary topic of climate change containment. Both are related; in the end, Thuringia is part of the world. With StadtLand, IBA Thüringen has written a new narrative and the IBA project processes across the country are its chapters. This narrative was ideally unfolded in the Free State of Thuringia. Here, committed and creative individuals have initiated project processes that point towards the future. This is where communication took place at eye level. Ideas became concepts; plans became a reality. Despite the more difficult conditions and the great “world concerns” that are currently preoccupying many people, the IBA has shown: it is possible! In our part of the world and in a democratic society, we are able to shape our future. Now it is important to learn from the experiences and insights from the IBA project processes and consolidate them.

 

Since its beginnings, the work of the IBA Thüringen has taken place within a rapidly changing social environment. Rural areas in particular have become a political priority in recent years. An ongoing political stress test for the democratic cohesion in a society cannot only be found in rural areas. It is linked to the accusation of being ‘left behind’, too. Thus, the constitutional principle for equal living conditions has returned to the agenda. It has become a question of justice. Although most people arrange themselves in a practical way – where to shop, how to get to the doctor, when to take the bus. Nevertheless, their overall flexibility is overstretched. More than that: they often miss the perception of their worries. Therefore, a new perception of public services must be designed, politically negotiated and implemented. Actors must be empowered to shape their own ideas of a good life on site. The village shop, the village pub and the village taxi can also be included. As regional commons, they get a chance. Of course, it cannot be left to the citizenry or civil society alone to close supply gaps. Rather, new, smart and flexible cooperation models and governance structures are needed – private, municipal, governmental, civic. Moreover, volunteering needs employment.

Climate protection and necessary transitions

Climate protection and adaptation must become the foundation of all action. The building sector alone is responsible for about 40 percent of climate-damaging CO2 emissions. Therefore, the reversal of construction is increasing urgency and haste. Conversion has to be the priority. Where construction from scratch is still taking place, renewable and recovered building materials from the region are to be used preferentially. Thus, the material and energy relations between the city and countryside prove themselves in regional interaction. Sustainable agriculture and forestry in rural areas will play a central role in the future. Where should renewable energies and renewable commodities be ‘harvested’, if not in the countryside? How are circular models of use and reuse organised, if not within the vicinity? Fierce competitions are already taking place in the area today: Plate or tank, agriculture or nature conservation, wind turbine or beautiful view. An answer to such conflicts can only be given convincingly with an integral perspective. We need diversity rather than ‘monolandscapes’. If integrated development succeeds, the countryside will prove itself as a location for qualified and well-paid work, for meaningfulness and value-adding. There will be good reasons to live in the countryside again.

The building stock is storage and grey energy. It is a collective memory, representing an economic value and constitutes a reserve of space and potential for use. The StadtLand Thüringen has opulent inventory, valuable houses, protected ensembles – and a high vacancy. Current nationwide studies show that interested parties from the city are increasingly looking for domiciles in the countryside. The Thuringian StadtLand has much to offer in this respect. However, there is still construction from scratch in prospering areas and on new ground. In order to foster climate protection, the potential of the inventory must be tapped. This also means strengthening the StadtLand exactly where the empty buildings are located. Reusing unused buildings provokes curiosity and enables creative interim utilisation. Revaluate a vacancy and you get a LeerGut – a resource. We should ask ourselves: How little is enough? This leads to simple solutions: resilient, less risky, less expensive as well as sustainable.

In Germany and Europe there is a debate about migration policy with an open outcome. Meanwhile, refugees seek security, perspective and opportunities. On the other hand, workforce is sought for in crafts, care, gastronomy, etc. Demand and need come together with difficulty and too slowly. In the view of demographic change, Thuringia needs immigration. The goal must be a successful integration. This is also beneficial for the labour market, where refugees find meaningful employments, contacts and opportunities. Social projects, art and culture enable encounters and understanding.

 

Transformational tasks are new territory. Here, new procedures and design methods have to be tested. Within the framework of the IBA Thüringen, numerous committed, creative and persistent actors have found and implemented their answers to the great social requirements ‘on their doorstep’. They were the human resources of this IBA, they are also the avant-garde for future changes. This explicitly includes supporters in large societies, municipal administrations, politics and ministerial structures and authorities. But everywhere, it must be noted, the effort required for the upcoming new and mostly additional tasks is very high – and the political price of failed projects and disappointments as well. We need a culture and a practice for the brave. Therefore, a policy framework for enabling structures should be set up. People who are preparing for change need trust, practical guidance and political backing.

 

Transformation processes need to be shaped. Construction culture is not a decoration; it is rather about making changes visible and creating comprehensibility and acceptance in this way. Conversion culture, timber construction and building with renewable building materials can become a contemporary, regional trademark ›Made in Thuringia‹. The buildings, new ensembles and landscapes that have been empowered in this way can even become a tourist destination in Thuringia thus attracting more interested parties. Outside recognition strengthens the solidarity within communities, municipalities and regions. The “Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen” [Thuringian Foundation for Building Culture] will continue the communicative heritage of the IBA Thüringen after 2023.