Construction began in , [ 2 ] and the first two residents arrived in The site was originally developed as a military base in and was taken over after World War II by the French forces occupying the region. The military left in Over a period of some years the vacant structures were occupied by various tribes of hippies and anarchists.
Following battles with the city government, squatters won the rights to four of the original twenty barracks. Some former occupants of these structures have taken up residence in a diverse assortment of cars, vans, and retired civil service vehicles, forming what has been named Wagenplatz. At the same time a group called "Forum Vauban" was pressing the City Council to develop the site in an eco-friendly way.
The remaining 38 hectares were acquired by Freiburg City Council, who delegated the mandatory community consultation to Forum Vauban. This collaboration between the Council and Forum Vauban led to the masterplan with its car-free concept. Most of the individual plots were sold to community-led housing 'Baugruppen' groups whose bids were assessed against criteria favouring families with children, older people and Freiburg residents. Some Baugruppen were formed by architects, others by prospective residents planning varying elements of self-build.
Some of the other plots were sold to private developers. Another part of the site was developed for student dormitories for the University of Freiburg. More "alternative" projects have, among other things, converted old barracks at a low cost, such as S. A self-governing " Community Centre Building " German : Stadtteilzentrum Haus has been established in one of the preserved barracks. Some former barracks were occupied in early , as they would have been demolished. Vauban has 5, residents as of The preference for walking and cycling can be partly attributed to the layout of the district.
This is accomplished by reducing the number of streets that run through the neighbourhood. Instead, most local streets are crescents and cul-de-sacs see drawing. While they are discontinuous for cars, they connect to a network of pedestrian and bike paths, which permeate the entire neighbourhood. In addition, these paths go through or past open spaces, adding to the enjoyment of the trip.
