The article is published on the 25th of March 2024

On a regular Thursday, we met with Malte, Mie, and Astrid, all residents of Studielandsbyen. If you add up their time living in Studielandsbyen, they have gathered more than 9 years of "seniority", so it's safe to say they know the housing community quite well. Therefore, we asked them to share stories about the informal collectivity that permeates the corners of Damagervej in Viby J - and fortunately, they were up for it. Read more about their exciting anecdotes and reflections below. Written by Louise Vittendorff Selmer "I had barely hit send before I had received responses from several neighbors willing to lend me some mayonnaise. It was late in the evening, so I hadn't expected anything," says Mie, who was pleasantly surprised when she needed an important ingredient for her otherwise dry rye bread sandwich. People were practically lining up to help her despite maybe already heading to bed. Malte, Mie, and Astrid agree that the situation is a great example of the helpfulness and collectivity that sprouts directly from the soil on Damagervej. Studielandsbyen is fundamentally a community where residents contribute in their own way and with their own surplus. Some do few things, while others do many. And in the end, it's the sum of thoughts and actions that matter: "There's always a community just outside your door that you can choose to engage with. You have your own space in your small apartment, and the community is there when you have the time and desire. We're glad that we don't live in an anonymous corridor," says Astrid with a smile on her lips. She calls the social life a hidden bonus that provides far more value for money in Studielandsbyen than one would get elsewhere. However, the strong community doesn't just emerge out of thin air. Although ejsingholm does its best to help foster it, the tenants are the most important building blocks who ultimately realize its full potential. At the end of 2023, a handful of tenants established a resident forum aimed at contributing to a comfortable and, importantly, fun environment. The forum consists of a party committee, an events committee, and a welcoming committee. The latter is an effort to greet new tenants who are slowly settling into their new homes. The committee knocks on each tenant's door, hands out an informative welcome letter, and provides their personal contact information so the 'newcomer' can always reach out to them. They call it a lifeline, which you may not necessarily know you need, but which can mean the world. It's precisely those small gestures that count in the grand ledger of community life. As the names suggest, the party and events committee organizes events where both 'ancient' and 'brand-new' residents are brought together. Over time, they have organized shelter trips with bonfires, summer parties, Chinese New Year celebrations, movie nights, Christmas gatherings, Valentine's Day, farewell dinners, dumpling workshops, origami, and much more. The next event is a casino night where residents will compete in various board games. Winners of each game receive a token, and those who collect the most by the end of the evening get their hands on some cool prizes. These prizes aren't just 'bought' from an ordinary store; instead, they are collected in residents' homes. The explanation lies in last year's Christmas party, where residents needed gifts for the persons, who found the almonds in the rice pudding (ris ala amnde), They spontaneously decided that everyone should find something they could spare at home (and of course, it couldn't be trash). It turned out to be the highlight of the evening: "I was really envious because I didn't win anything. I probably wouldn't have been if it had just been a boring box of chocolates," laughs Malte. And you could actually say that the unconventional gifts also encapsulate the essence of Studielandsbyen. They, non the less, symbolize the informal and non-binding collectivity.