2.3 Urban development and planning

For many years now, Vienna has been pursuing a resource- and land-conserving form of urban development based on compact and space-saving design methods. Thus, the Federal Province of Vienna presents by far the lowest level of per-capita soil sealing, i.e. 79.3 sq m per inhabitant vis-à-vis the Austrian average of 330.1 sq m per inhabitant.

In order to counteract the negative effects of climate change, a prime priority is to maintain Vienna’s high share of green spaces (50% of the municipal territory). This and other targets of climate-adapted urban development are embodied in relevant strategy documents of the City of Vienna: Smart Climate City Strategy Vienna (German acronym SKCSW), Urban Development Plan (German acronym STEP), thematic concepts of STEP 2025. In the course of planning processes, these targets are then applied to concrete areas. Examples of this approach include the management of target areas of urban development in Vienna, the formulation of neighbourhood development concepts (German acronym SEK) and overarching urban planning concepts (German acronym SL) as well as quality catalogues and land use and development plans. The co-ordinated interaction of existing tools and processes as well as the intensified involvement of climate experts ensure that climate goals are taken account of. The specific framework conditions governing each planned urban design project are considered. Moreover, urban development contracts for particular projects safeguard specific qualities; alternatively, the Quality Advisory Board ensures quality assurance in the case of large-scale urban development areas.

Updated and complementary strategic fundamentals that embody set targets for climate-adapted urban development are underway, for example the new Urban Development Plan. The 2023 amendment to the Building Code for Vienna defines legal framework conditions, e.g. regarding requirements for the dimensions and design of unsealed open spaces or an intensified focus on the protection of existing tree stocks.

Vienna makes use of the know-how and data gathered by the City Administration in order to integrate climate-relevant aspects into each individual project and eliminate conflicts between the varying goals of climate-friendly urban development and the protection of existing tree stocks and plants. The Vienna Urban Climate Analysis published in 2020 and the expert know-how accumulated by the City Administration – for example, with micro-climate analyses regarding urban planning projects – offer support in climate-sensitive urban planning processes. Newly developed coefficients, such as the green space and rainwater management factor, are tested in concrete projects and fine-tuned for their applicability in practical planning situations.

Highlights:

• Compact, land-conserving construction methods – lowest level of per-capita soil sealing in Austria: 79.3 sq m per inhabitant

• Thematic concepts of STEP 2025 with climate focuses

• Complementary strategic fundamentals are being prepared for the new Urban Development Plan

• Urban climate expertise and the Vienna Urban Climate Analysis serve as a basis in planning processes

• Developers’ competitions as a control tool

• When planning new urban development projects, climate-sensitive and near-natural parks are given top priority

• Coefficients such as the green space and rainwater management factor serve as an evaluation basis in planning new projects