Vienna’s Urban Development Plan is based on the concept of sustainability and encourages the creation of a walkable, compact city. This “city of short distances” provides immediate access to public infrastructure for all citizens, reduces traffic, supports the use of public space, and secures valuable green areas. The remaining open spaces in or near the city center are largely brownfield sites that are prepared for dense new housing developments. The municipality is furthermore subsidizing renovation of old buildings and conversion of attic spaces all over the city to increase the density of the metropolis and hence the efficiency of land use.
Text: Wolfgang Förster