Varbergs Bostad developed the concept ‘Life between the blocks’ to enhance quality of life for residents and strengthen community cohesion. By creating natural meetings places and collaborating with tenants to develop a range of activities, Varbergs Bostad supports thriving, inclusive communities.
What is the ‘Life Between the Blocks’ concept?
An attractive residential area includes housing and social opportunities. Varbergs Bostad invest in social activities to foster a sense of community and reduce loneliness among residents. It’s not just about the apartments; it’s equally about the life between the blocks.
The concept involves three steps to add value for tenants:
- Creating natural meeting places
- Offering opportunities to participate in social activities and events
- Maintaining an active dialogue with tenants
Creating natural meeting places
Providing natural meeting places facilitates spontaneous social interaction among people of all ages. In outdoor spaces, Varbergs Bostad maximises the use of green areas, offering facilities such as barbecue areas, playgrounds, seating, urban gardens, and boules courts. These common spaces are designed to be spacious enough to offer ample room while being small enough to encourage interaction among neighbours. Additionally, Varbergs Bostad has created orchards, beehives, and allotments.
Greenhouses serve as social living rooms where residents can meet for a chat over coffee, attend crafting activities, or grow plants. These cosy spaces can also be booked for events like graduations, birthdays, or book clubs.
Organising social activities
Varbergs Bostad offers a packed program of up to 50 social activities per year, from barbecue evenings to historical city tours. One of the most popular events is Family Day. The event features a range of free activities for tenants of all ages, including face painting, treasure hunts, sports, and a quiz walk. Additionally, there is an outdoor flea market to promote environmental awareness and recycling.
Varbergs Bostad ensures that every tenant is included in its activities. Many fun events are organised with older tenants in mind, including theatre performances, Christmas shopping trips, and even sailing aboard an ancient ship. Thanks to sponsorships and collaborations with local sports associations, children can practice with elite teams and older tenants can enjoy activities like walking floorball and football.
Dialogue and collaboration with tenants
Positive living environments are based on open dialogue and collaboration between the housing association and tenants. Varbergs Bostad periodically collects feedback on homes and outdoor spaces through tenant surveys.
When new projects are planned, tenants are invited to reference groups and dialogue meetings to provide their input. A neighbourhood watch group also ensures that outdoor spaces are consistently monitored.
Find out more
To find out more about the ‘Life between the blocks’ concept, please contact Varbergs Bostad’s coordinator through the Members Only Zone. If you are not yet a member of Eurhonet, find out about joining us.
This Best Practice was presented by Dzejna Seta, Head of Communications at Varbergs Bostad, during our Leadership Summit 2024.