3.1.5 The Community

3.1.4. The Community

It is very common to greet people with nods or ‘Hi’ in Svartlamo(e)n rather than other places, people know each other here and work together. In Svartlamo(e)n there are social spaces where you can get to know neighbors, such as a local pub, a book café, or a gallery; there are also many working groups and activities making Svartlamo(e)n well known for its volunteer work; and from the interviews we can conclude that the residents have a sense of home here. All this together makes Svartlamo(e)n a good quality, and friendly neighborhood.

Service Map

From the service map of Svartlamo(e)n you can feel the art and creative atmosphere. For example, they have a vinyl shop, a choreographic center, a tattoo shop, and a gallery. Several of them run voluntarily, others run businesses as a source of income, but often with an idealistic approach.

Working groups

Being an urban ecological trail area, a lot of its success depends on the people being creative and active towards improving and maintaining the area. The residents have several groups which help in facilitating and managing activities and tasks. The residents also have the option to form their own working groups for activities. Some groups are -

FLYKO (flyttekoordineringsgruppa/ relocation coordination group) is a group consisting of two elected representatives from each neighborhood. The purpose is to allocate apartments and manage internal exchange of apartments in Svartlamo(e)n (Svartlamon Boligstiftelse, 2021b).

Operating group (Driftsgruppa) works with the collection of rent and other matters that have to do with the daily operation of the area (Svartlamon Boligstiftelse, 2021b).

Co-ordination group (Koordineringsgruppe) ensures that the residents’ association’s statutes and articles of association are followed up in collaboration with other residents Svartlamon Boligstiftelse, 2021b).

Figure 20: Service map and Working groups, Authors

Workshop group (Værstegruppa) helps with the construction and carpentry works Svartlamon Boligstiftelse, 2021b). Green groups (Grøntgruppa) plants shrubs and trees, fixes flower beds and arranges various outdoor projects Svartlamon Boligstiftelse, 2021b). Events and Activities

Svartlamo(e)n residents conduct several activities amongst themselves using their do-it-yourself principle. Svartlamo(e)n is well known for its volunteer work and voluntary projects. And all these activities and events help to create a good quality, and friendly neighborhood. The culture day (Kulturdagen) is organized by the local residents with the support of outsiders. It is an open day where people from all around the city can join and contribute to the event. “The vision of Culture Day at Svartlamo(e)n is to highlight the collective power of art and spread inspiration. diversity and joy to the whole city” (Svartlamon Boligstiftelse, 2021c). This goal depicts the Svartlamo(e)n ideology as a whole. Svartlamo(e)n Day

This day, Svartlamo(e)n is open for the rest of the city. Svartlamodagen is a day with a tight program of experiences and activities for both young and old. This is an opportunity to get a taste of what Svartlamo(e)n as an area has to offer, and an insight into the activity that takes place in the various places.z Eat the Rich

Eat the Rich is a free culture and rock festival held at Svartlamo(e)n, usually in the fall. It is a non-profit, “do-it-yourself” festival which is mainly organized by the residents of Svartlamo(e)n. It is decided upon at a residents’ meeting in April each year, whether the festival will be held that upcoming year. (Svartlamon Boligstiftelse, 2021c) The Winter Market

The winter market at Svartlamo(e)n is held inside the Workshop Hall every year at the end of November. There is a great variety of local players who mainly sell self-produced goods. People can find both self-produced and vintage clothing, things, books, vinyl, arts, crafts, jewelry, ceramics, food and lots more. (Svartlamon Boligstiftelse, 2021c)

Figure 21: Working groups, Authors

Why do people want to live here — Interview Quotes

Here are some quotes that depict the resident’s sense of community: For the question asked by UEP Students, “How do you find living in Svartlamo(e)n?” Some of the responses were – Resident: “I get a good feel of Svartlamo(e)n, it gives me more freedom and feel good about living here” Neighbor living near steel company: “Enjoys the creativity and atmosphere” Owner of Ramp, local bar: “Sense of home in Svartlamo(e)n after being homeless for a couple months” From the interviews, we can see that the residents in Svartlamo(e)n have a sense of home here, and they really enjoy the community. Additionally, they like the atmosphere and creativity in Svartlamo(e)n.