Affordable modern housing: ECOLOGICAL CITY

The European housing market is facing a long-term structural crisis, where the growth of property prices and market rents is systematically outpacing the growth of real incomes of the population. While traditional approaches rely on European subsidies, state regulation, or, conversely, envy deregulation, the international ECOLOGICAL CITY project of the non-profit organization ONE GVS proposes a different methodology. It is a scalable and innovative urban model that generates housing affordability from the very beginning - architecturally, structurally, financially and operationally.

The economics of affordable housing

The core of the affordability of the EcoCitii project is the abandonment of traditional development. Our model is built on cost prices and applies a 100% reinvestment strategy, which means that all operating surpluses remain within the project. In addition, the cash flow of the entire community is internally and lifelong subsidized by income generated by the rental of retail and other areas. This fundamentally affects the possibilities of further development, which in the project falls under the management of a subsidiary of our non-profit development company.

Another building block is cost efficiency, which is ensured not only by economies of scale (the basic unit is a complete city block with complete amenities with a capacity of 2,320 apartments), but also by industrial methods such as prefabrication, modularity, maximum use of dry construction or local production. The entire process is ultimately supported and covered by a building system, which is managed by an in-house construction company.

However, a critical problem in the current rental market is also the lack of transparency and unpredictability of expenses. Therefore, EcoCitii introduces a precisely defined structure for the allocation of collected rent, which is completely non-profit and supports local development.

Thanks to this model, EcoCitii can offer rental and owner-occupied housing significantly below the level of the current European market for energy-efficient new buildings, including the bonus of wholesale energy prices. For more information on costs, please see the Tenant Manual 2.0, which is available for download on the project website.

Infrastructure and smart management

The EcoCitii project goes much further, however. Within one block, residents have their own schools, kindergartens, leisure centers, a shopping mall with a wide range of shops and services, parks, as well as connections to public transport and shared mobility. However, the internal development fund also includes the gradual implementation of a large central park, which will offer a wider range of year-round activities and tourism.

The technological and administrative center of the community is the digital platform One App, which facilitates access to both residential and urban functions. The application will function as a digital key to apartments, for booking services or as a tool for self-monitoring energy consumption. It also ensures participatory governance through community voting and offers artificial intelligence assistance for everyday life in the city.

The path to housing

The entry process for future residents is designed in phases and as transparent as possible. Interested parties first obtain Patron status - based on a one-time donation of a minimum of 150 USD, which expresses initial support for the project. Once the community reaches the necessary capacity, space opens up for payment of the reservation fee itself and securing specific housing.

Building a city block from scratch and ultimately a completely new city is a highly ambitious task that requires time, quality planning, determination and the courage to change things. That is why our greatest asset is a strong community. We are convinced that with the support and strong interest of our Patrons, we will overcome all obstacles on the way to this goal. Only by joining forces can we turn the vision of ECOLOGICAL CITY into reality.

For more information, visit the official project website

www.ecocitii.com

by ONE GVS team