In Vienna’s first district, worlds collide on a daily basis: 16,000 residents, 250,000 visitors and 110,000 employees share the limited public space. How can this balancing act between tourism, everyday working life and quality of life be mastered in the future? The research project ‘Learning Journey – Innere Stadt’, led by endowed chair Cornelia Dlabaja at FHWien der WKW, is dedicated to this question.
Objectives and methods
The project uses participatory methods and an activity analysis to analyse how existing planning processes can be expanded to meet future requirements in sustainable urban and tourism development. A particular focus is on improving the quality of walking for residents, while at the same time taking into account the needs of visitors.
The research is based on an actor-centered analysis that considers the complexity of the multiple stakeholders – from the city administration to local initiatives and business operators who are directly and indirectly affected by tourism. Challenges and possible solutions are developed through workshops, interviews and joint tours.
Case studies at four hotspots
The project examines the challenges of the city center based on four case studies in the inner city:
- Albertinaplatz: The focus here is on equalizing density through different mobility flows and user groups.
- Schwedenplatz: As the gateway to the city center, aspects of complex ownership structures in the planning process and social cohesion are examined here.
- Michaelerplatz: The focus is on the areas of tension between the requirements of accessibility and climate adaptation in planning in the historic heritage ensemble, as well as the equalization of visitor flows and sustainable use for the local neighborhood, as well as the topic of private-public partnership projects in urban planning.
- Heldenplatz: The aim here is to achieve a climate-resilient remodeling process that takes account of the historical heritage.
The project is being implemented as part of a series of international collaborations, including with the HCU Hamburg, the technical universality of Venice IUAV, the ICLE Lisbon, the University of Vienna and as part of EU-funded Erasmus programs. This collaboration enables the exchange of interdisciplinary and international expertise.
The “Learning Journey – Inner City” aims to develop an empirically sound basis that makes the knowledge gained usable for future planning projects. By incorporating different perspectives and applying innovative methods, the aim is to create a balance between the needs of residents, visitors and the urban infrastructure. Findings from the first part of the Learning Journey show which aspects in particular need to be included in future planning because they have been sticking points in previous planning processes. In addition to the complex network of stakeholders, these are the ownership structures that need to be included in the planning process, as well as critical reflection on the reason for planning and the framework conditions.
Dr. Dlabaja’s project thus makes a valuable contribution to Vienna’s sustainable tourism development by developing solutions to the challenges of the inner city while preserving its unique character.