Papieri People

Community neighborhood association

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Effi Tanner

A neighborhood association for the Papieri

Just as the contractor, Cham Group, is developing and implementing the Papieri site, Effi Tanner is building communities. It is essential that the new neighborhood not only provides residential space, but also evolves into a lively area for the town of Cham. This requires people who are committed, enjoy socializing and want to make a difference. That’s why the Cham Group initiated the founding of a neighborhood association. Effi Tanner is helping to set it up.

For over 360 years, the Papieri was an enclosed area that was not accessible to the general public. All that changed in late 2022 when occupants moved in following the first construction phase: paper production has long since ceased, and the historic site is gradually evolving into a lively neighborhood. Around 300 of the 1,000 apartments are already occupied, and the first business have opened their doors. The developer, Cham Group, understands that it may create apartments and new residential areas, but it’s people who occupy these new spaces and fill them with life, ideally people who enjoy getting involved and want to shape their neighborhood and share their experiences. The Papieri Neighborhood Association was founded with this aim.

The Cham Group recruited Inspire529 and Effi at an early stage to successfully develop the site.

«It’s important that people help shape the association. Members of the neighborhood association, i.e. Papieri residents and businesses, will initiate and implement their own ideas, thereby creating a program based on the vision of the people in the Papieri».

Effi Tanner, community building

Effi works for Inspire529 and is an expert in social sustainability. She advises a range of construction and transformation projects during various phases of community building. Effi was commissioned by the Cham Group to support the Papieri Neighborhood Association during the start-up phase.

In order to bring the right people together, Effi directly approached Papieri residents and businesses at the opening events, such as the Christmas apéro and the pre-opening. She was joined by interested, committed people who got together to gather initial ideas. It quickly became clear that setting up a neighborhood association would be the right approach. During three workshops, goals were then developed, statutes determined and a five-strong committee elected, with Vice-Presidents Bettina Wittner and Anatol Zingg. Finally, the Papieri NA Committee members signed the documents that formalized the association.

«Thanks to Effi, the Neighborhood Association was founded in March 2023. The aim is to promote community life on the Papieri site and create networking opportunities for both residents and businesses. Because this is a new neighborhood that will constantly change over the coming years, there’s a lot of pioneering spirit within the neighborhood association».

Bettina Wittner, Vice-President Neighborhood Association

The first event organized by the newly-founded Papieri Neighborhood Association took place in the summer. Around 40 Papieri residents attended a get-together with a community potluck buffet, enjoyed a delicious meal and refused to let the rain dampen their spirits. This was followed by a tour of the site’s modern and unique power plant.

«The idea is that members meet regularly and events will be held about every two months».

Effi Tanner

A get-together with a community potluck buffet.
Inaugural event of the newly-founded Papieri Neighborhood Association in the Portierhaus.
Around 40 residents and some Papieri business owners took part.

The neighborhood association was also represented at Papieri-Fäscht 2023. Papieri-Fäscht is held every fall for all residents, businesses and the entire town of Cham. The neighborhood association supported this year’s festival by providing a bar, serving homemade cakes and introducing itself to the public.

«We had a bar serving Herrgöttli beer and soft drinks on Maschinengasse,» says committee member Sven Arber. As the communications representative of the new neighborhood association, Sven has also created the website.

«QV Papieri – chamer mitmache».

Motto of the neighborhood association's website

The neighborhood association had a bar at Papieri-Fäscht, serving Herrgöttli beer, soft drinks and cakes on Maschinengasse.
Effi Tanner acts as an interlocutor between the Cham Group, residents, businesses and the town of Cham.

«There’s plenty of ideas. We’re still evolving,» says Effi. «Anything is possible, from group bike tours, guided tours of Cham, visits to Cham businesses, weekly markets and games evenings, to an open-air cinema or mini-festival,» she says. The momentum always comes from the Papieri community, so it develops «from within.»

«The challenge is clearly to maintain commitment over an extended period, until the association has really become established», says Effi Tanner. In the Papieri, she thinks it’s ideal that the Cham Group considered community building at such an early stage and that a neighborhood association was established from the outset. She is convinced that this encourages members to take the initiative and assume responsibility.

Effi also acts as an interlocutor between the developer, Cham Group, residents, businesses and the town of Cham, in order to meet the complementary needs of all stakeholders.

«When developing a site, it’s essential that people feel comfortable. So it’s important to create places with a great future and positive appeal».

Effi Tanner

And it is important to not only involve the site itself, but also the wider location – in this case, the town of Cham. This is the only way that a neighborhood like the Papieri can ultimately be ideally incorporated into the region.

Effi’s favorite place in the Papieri is the Porter’s Lodge: «Charmingly furnished and simply beautiful.»

Speaking of the future: what can people in Cham and the Papieri look forward to? «When the Kesselhaus opens and the restaurant moves in, the entire neighborhood will become even more lively. And we’ll be holding another get-together soon,» says Effi.

All the neighborhood association’s activities are listed on the website and, of course, potential association members who would like to be involved can also get in touch. The association welcomes anyone who has the motivation. The neighborhood association is still receiving financial support from the Cham Group. After two years, it should be self-funding and should have established so many of its own traditions that they’ll have become an integral part of the Papieri.

Contact

QV Papieri
Papieri-Ring 7
6330 Cham

Web    qv-papieri.ch

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