Abstract: The redevelopment of railway stations and their surroundings has been high on the agenda of European cities for more than two decades An evolving set of factors has fuelled these initiatives Driving forces include the expansion and upgrading of rail infrastructure, the reduced demand for industrial space in central urban locations, the privatization of railways, efforts to increase the attractiveness of cities, the quest for sustainable development and - last but not least - the spatial dynamics of contemporary society Across the different years and countries, these factors have been combined with shifting emphases, resulting in three different ways of framing station area projects, here labelled 'property capitalization', 'urban mega-project', and 'transit oriented development' (TOD) The last frame puts initiatives in Europe on a par with similar efforts in other parts of the world In the second part of the paper global, emerging experiences with TOD are reviewed in order to draw lessons for current initiatives in Europe

Abstract: Today’s development of alternative types of housing with communal spaces and shared facilities, called cohousing, has been influenced by utopian visions, practical proposals and implemented pro-jects far back in the past. This article traces the driving forces behind the various models of communi-tarian settlements, cooperative housekeeping, central kitchen buildings, collective housing and colla-borative residential experiments while focusing specifically on the design and gender aspects of these models. An emphasis is given to feminist arguments for cohousing, as well as a discussion of the patriarchal resistance against various forms of housing and living based on equality and neighbourly cooperation. The article includes an analysis of the relief of house work burdens and of the possibility for men to be courageously domesticated through this type of housing. The main research methods comprise analyses of literature and the researchers’ own practical experiences of cohousing. The authors claim that cohousing in Scandinavian and some other countries has contributed to a more equal distribution of responsibilities for house work. However, the number of people living in cohou-seing is still too small to influence the gender segregation of labour markets. It is furthermore conclu-ded that design factors, such as the quality of shared spaces, easy access to common rooms and indoor communication, are important for the smooth functioning of cohousing.

Abstract: The range of diff erent types of co-housing community in Germany is quite extensive, including projects with single-family houses and large community houses jointly planned by a group of families, o en with high ecological standards; projects with elderly people; inter- or multi-generation projects; and communal housing projects following the historic 'Beguine' ideas. As diff erent as the people coming together in the projects are the legal forms and financing models used for implementation, ranging from rental to owner-occupation, with public or private developers building the projects. The first part of this article provides an overview of the current situation of co-housing projects in Germany, based on a database developed by Fedrowitz. The second part reviews current practices in German municipalities in support of cohousing projects. For years, co-housing projects were mostly initiated 'bo om-up' and many initiatives failed because of the complex planning process. Meanwhile, the increasing demand for this particular housing model has been acknowledged at the political level and municipalities have set up speci fic support structures for cohousing. In the last section, the article draws some conclusions regarding this new form of housing and its future in Germany.

Abstract: In the last decade, several Portuguese municipalities have faced population decline. This paper systematises the most implemented strategies by the Portuguese governments and identifies their results in dealing with population decline. Based on a survey of the most important newspapers and municipality websites, and by using economic and demographic annual data for 10 years (1999–2008), it was found that the majority of the municipalities have implemented strategies of “smart growth” and “smart shrinkage”, while the others have presented a misperception of shrinkage. The resilience capability of each municipality, in the adaption of the activities of primary and secondary sectors into the tertiary sector, was identified as an important factor for the success of smart growth strategies.

Abstract: 345 BUILT ENVIRONMENT VOL 38 NO 3 the residents, and (5) some physical design lessons learned. Since that time, only one other such community has opened, in New Mexico (2010), but several others are under construction or in the planning stages. These communities offer some unique features that are appealing to ageing Ameri cans, especially an enhanced sense of community. While a comprehensive description and analysis of the sense of community and mutual support components are beyond the scope of this article, research by the author suggests that the potential for mutual support is being realized and that these communities can facilitate an effective means for older neighbours to look out for each other. This presentation of these first three pioneering communities in the United States Elder co-housing communities, in which older adults can choose where and with whom they want to live as they age, are a new arrival in the fi eld of retirement housing options in the United States, although intergenerational co-housing communities have existed since the 1980s, when McCamant and Durrett (1994) imported the idea from Europe. While ‘senior’ co-housing or ‘living groups’ (Brenton, 2008) have fl ourished in countries like Denmark and the Netherlands for several years, it was not until a two-year period between 2005 to 2007, that the fi rst three elder co-housing communities opened in the United States, in California, Virginia, and Colorado. This article will describe (1) how they got started, (2) development and funding, (3) the resultant communities, (4) Elder Co-Housing in the United States: Three Case Studies

Abstract: This issue focuses on the nature of co-housing and what it has to off er to society today. Can co-housing develop from the margins into something able to challenge the prevailing ways of distributing housing and can it create new social practices within cities? Karin Krokfors and her contributors examine the collaborative, communal and collective aspects of cohousing from diff erent national, political and social perspectives. Throughout there is an emphasis on the relationship between living and the built environment.

Abstract: Universal processes related to the demographic transition to structural low fertility on the one hand, and economic geographic processes of concentration and urbanization on the other lead to regional population decline in most European countries. Due to this universal nature of the underlying processes policies aimed at dealing with them share substantial similarities. At the same time, the regional context is very important as well. This paper aims to give more insight into and reflections on policies dealing with population decline in three European regions: Northeast Scotland, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and Brandenburg. Each region has experienced population decline, but in different regional and national contexts. Policy responses between the regions differed. Each of the regions has experienced some form of structural change that was triggered by external developments. Demography has reacted to these changes primarily through migration. Moreover, there are strong internal differences in growth and decline within these regions. One of the main conclusions is that the role of national policies has been substantial. The more successful regional policies were supported strongly by national policies. Moreover, policies have primarily affected liveability in the regions, but not population decline as such.

Abstract: This article summarizes and complements recent quantitative research on the impact of the Berlin railway system on the urban economy. Evidence suggests that access to intra-city rail lines has had a considerable impact on the value of urban land since at least the late nineteenth century. Since then, access to the intra-city rail network has remained a significant determinant of urban land value, although the marginal impact has decreased over time. In contrast, the post-unification realignment of Berlin's inter-city rail system has had, if any, only a weak impact on real estate markets. Micro-level simulations indicate that the new central station's connection to the urban railway network is likely to have more pronounced, although relatively localized impacts, raising the question of how to balance the cost for infrastructure among landlords and society.

Abstract: 94 BUILT ENVIRONMENT VOL 37 NO 3 investors, amongst them the ‘cartel of banks’ (Cattacin, 1994, p. 134), most prominently UBS and Credit Suisse, as well as the crème de la crème of corporate Switzerland, and large housing cooperatives, hotels and schools. Opposing them are varying constellations of adversaries. Most prominently, Switzerland’s green alternative Association for Transport and Environment, VCS (short for Verkehrsclub der Schweiz), activists and inhabitants of the adjacent neighbourhoods, District 4 and District 5, as well as politicians from different parties. Caught in the middle from the beginning, and playing a crucial role, stands architect Ralph Baenziger, for decades the main planner of the megaproject. Three citywide referenda, endless court hearings and several street demonstrations provide the backdrop for urban development under the régime of Swiss direct democracy in times of global city competition. Introduction – HB-Südwest is Eurogate is Stadtraum HB is Europaallee

Abstract: London's east-west Crossrail is a civil engineering megaproject designed to produce a minimum of visible change at surface level. The paper explains the origins of Crossrail's 'keyhole surgery' approach, describes the station design process and considers its outcomes in a review of all eight subterranean stations with their 12 surface ticket halls along the central London section between Canary Wharf and Paddington. The strategy is compared and contrasted with Frank Pick's design thinking for London Underground and with the closer precedents of Paris's RER Ligne A. We show how the discreet keyhole concept has to be balanced against the requirements of (a) glazed facades to bring daylight into interior circulation spaces, and (b) design and management of exterior circulation spaces, given the increases in footfall anticipated around each ticket hall when Crossrail opens in 2018. Urban design of station settings remains unfinished business.

Abstract: Firstly, although there is some agreement on the circular causality character of shrinkage, empirical research in which this character is tested is scarce. This paper will elaborate on this circular causality in an empirical way. It addresses some of the major gaps in understanding urban shrinkage. Secondly, differences in the causes of shrinkage between regions and between municipalities in those regions have received little attention. This differentiation is supposed to be caused by regional and local specificities, such as characteristics of location, employment opportunities, and quality of life. Yet, again, empirical knowledge about these differences is limited. The aims of this paper are (1) to disentangle these complex differences and causal relations in three Dutch shrinking regions over a period of 20 years (1990-2009) and (2) to examine effects of specificities on the regional differentiation of shrinkage.