Case 1: Lake Wörthersee

Lake Wörthersee is the largest of all Carinthian lakes—and soon only an hour's train ride away from Graz. Although the lake itself is publicly owned, access to it is largely privatized. How could this be reversed? How can free access to swimming facilities be democratized, which is becoming increasingly important as summers get hotter and hotter? How can we free Austrian lakes from the stranglehold of exclusive villas and private summer homes?

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Case 2: The Rösselmühle

The Rösselmühle, which has been vacant since 2024, could be a landmark for the Gries district of Graz—an open space, a cultural center, a diverse non-profit meeting place. And for several years now, it has been on its way there: a variety of temporary uses are filling the vacant space. At the same time, the sword of Damocles hangs over the building in the form of real estate development. Non-profit housing developers are planning to build on the site. How can the Rösselmühle be appropriated collectively and for the long term?

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Case 3: X (formerly Twitter)

Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter has highlighted the risks inherent in private ownership and the associated venality of (semi-)public spaces. The largest online arena for political debate and opinion-forming changed its character within a short period of time and became a plaything for the political ideas of the richest man in the world. It seems clear that such platforms should not primarily exist to generate profits. And they should be subject to democratic control – not the whims of individuals. But how could this be achieved in a multinational company like X?