Participation and urban green spaces:Vienna exampleDI Tamara BrajovicLocal Urban Renewal Office for the 3rd and 11th district (GB*3/11)

Urban area of Vienna 2015Total area 41,487 ha• Built-up area 14,750 ha (35.65)• Green space 18,889 ha (45,5%)• Bodies of water 1,913 ha (4,6%)• Roads, streets 5,936 ha (14,3 %)

Population in Vienna 2014• Total population 1,797,337• Foreign citizen 460,163• Current forecasts assume that Vienna

will have reached a population of 2 million till 2029

2016 Vienna continues its reign in the top spot for overall quality of living, (Mercer Quality of Living Survey)

Vienna - Districts and Zoning

Innere Stadt - the city centre of Vienna 1st district - historical center

Inner Districts3rd - 9th districtbetween city center and Gürtel(Belt - city ring road parallel to Ringstraße)

2nd/20th districtplaced on the island between the Danube and Danube Canal

Outer districts:Districts 10-19, and 23: beyondGürtel,Districts 21, 22:beyond Danube River (Donau)former „Vorstädte“ - suburbs, city area outside former city walls

Green spaces in Federal Province/City of Vienna

Approximately 50 per cent of Vienna (from area of 414 km2, about 200 km2 are green areas. A large part of these green areas is for free public use.

Public urban green areas in Vienna are administered by :1. Municipal Department 42 - Parks and

Gardens (MA 42),

2. Municipal Department 49 - Forestry Office and Urban Agriculture (MA 49) and

3. Friedhöfe Wien (Vienna's cemeteries).

Internationally renowned parks in Vienna (Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Burggarten, Volksgarten and Augarten) administered by the Republic of Austria since 1918.

Municipal Department 42 -Parks and Gardens(MA 42)

19 km2 of parks (every 20th square meter forms part of a park)

100,000 trees along avenues and roads

1,200 plant pots

19,000 park benches

500 playgrounds

200 sports grounds

150 dog zones

Source: Urban Development Plan Vienna (STEP) 2025/ Thematic concept: Green and Open Spaces

General Design Guideline for Parks in Vienna

This handbook was issued by the “New Green” Unit of Municipal Department 42 -Parks and Gardens (MA 42) in 2011.

• It sets out specifications for the planning and provision of facilities in existing and future parks in Vienna.

• It summarizes the complex requirements made on modern public parks regarding the usable width, suitability for everyday use, gender-selective usability, safety etc.

• The guideline involves future users and takes realizable wishes into account, to guarantee that park users can identify with their green spaces.

Participation from the point of MA 42

General notion 1. According to “General Design Guideline for Parks” with the each new planning as well as redesigning or refurbishment, participation should be scheduled

2. It would be coordinated ,with the district, if and in which form the participation would be implemented

3. Beginning of the participation should be before the beginning of the planning process and/or during planning process

Goals Involvement of the public in decision-making processes and identification of the park users with the park for example has less vandalism as a result

Wishes and ideas are incorporated into the preliminary draft

• The framework conditions are presented to the citizens and the desired content (no planning proposals per se!) are collected

Getting feedback on preliminary draft and update of the plan 

• Preliminary draft is presented to the citizens 

Feedback 

• The final results, the urban design plan, is presented in a final presentation

Procedure

Consideration of the realizable/affordable wishes and ideas of the park users in at least 3 stages

Participation from the point of MA 42

Preliminary preparations

Prior to the start of the planning, • the framework conditions are defined with the political contracting

authority• Participation process is linked to the schedule of the project• The moderation is carried out by external contractors or city organizations

(Local Urban Renewal Office (GB*), Planning offices, etc. )

Participation from the point of MA 42

Local Urban RenewalOffices - GB* service free of charge provided on behalf of the City of Vienna and Municipal Department 25- Urban Renewal and Assessment in Matters of Housing Construction and Promotion (MA 25 )

established in 1974 as a local service for residents and house-owners

Concept of „Gentle Urban Renewal“ in Vienna

main topics in the 1970/1980s: legal advice on housing and refurbishment, for tenants & owners

Today: 9 GB* in 17 locations,

focus shifted to a more comprehensive approach -„neighborhood management ”

Local Urban Renewal Office - GB*3/11GB* 3/11 is responsible for areas in the 3rd and 11th district

• 2 locations, 10 staff members

• multilingual port of call-various languages spoken

• diverse professional background: architecture, landscape planning, urban planning, sociology/social work, mediation

PARTICIPATION from the point of GB*There is a growing aspiration among inhabitants to communicate about changes in their living environment. Anticipating certain common concerns during the planning phase of a project helps improvement of the overall urban design and quality of life.

GB* is working as an intermediary at neighborhood level.

• Participation means to involve those in particular that would otherwise not be heard or be active.

• Participation means: Establishing new ways of social decision-making

PARTICIPATION from the point of GB*

GB* is present as a point of contact and an "ear" for the concerns, views and wishes 

of the residents in the district. 

GB* informs about developments in the area, 

explains complex relationships and 

backgrounds, invites for a dialog. 

The GB* are communicators between urban development stakeholders and residents, as well actors at the local level.

This communication flows in both directions:

Examples from Vienna-citizen participation for better urban green spaces :

1. Playground „Am Kanal – Pretschgasse“, 11th District

2. Leon-Zelman-Park, 3th District

Playground „Am Kanal– Pretschgasse“ 11th District

1.800 m²

Timeline: 2010 Participation process and

planning 2011 Start of construction2012 Opening of the playground

Actors:• Municipal Department 42 - Parks and

Gardens (MA 42)• Local Urban Renewal Office –former

GB*11 (now: GB*3/11)• Balu&Du - youth organization /social

work in public spaces • 11th district authority

Playground „Am Kanal– Pretschgasse“ 11th District Informing

• Information about the project on GB*11-website• Infopoint in the park - GB*11, Balu & Du (B&D)• Providing information in the office of GB*11

Participation activities

• Workshop in a nearby elementary school- B&D• Action in Pretschgasse - B&D• Infopoint in the Park - GB*11 and B&D

Preliminary draft 

• Gathering inputs: from actions in the park, Infopoints, remarks made at the presentation

• Creating recommendations• Discussion of recommendations with MA 42

and District Authority

Final Urban design   

• Presentation of first draft concept to the public and discussion

• Getting feedback on preliminary draft and update of the plan

Participatory process:

Playground„Am Kanal– Pretschgasse“ “11th District

Preliminary draft: • Park design was highly appreciated

and accepted by children and their parents

• Strong skepticism from neighbors, main concerns:• noise • secure access for users of the

park - crossing of the adjacent streets

Solution: the park was built as a playground

for younger children (less noisy)

a pedestrian crossing was installed simultaneously with the construction of the park

Playground „Am Kanal– Pretschgasse“ 11th District

Final Urban design playground for younger children

Leon-Zelman-Park,3th District, Eurogate

11.000 m²

EUROgate: • newly built quarter (2011-2014)

• train station until the 1970s

• Europe's biggest passive-house settlement with 824 flats

• financing: city-subsidized housing

• until 2017: 1.100 flats

• further development of the area until 2025, up to 3.000 flats in total, and additional park with 20.000 m²

Leon-Zelman-Park,3th District, Eurogate

Timeline: 2002 General green spaces plan for Eurogate

2011 Detailed plan for the Park

2012 Protest of residents against the detailed plans for the park

2013 GB* Participation activities

2013 Park was finished /Opening

Actors:• Municipal Department 42 - Parks

and Gardens (MA 42)• Local Urban Renewal Office -

GB*3/11 • 3rd district authority

Leon-Zelman-Park,3th District, Eurogate GB* suggested, organized and moderated various events in order to facilitate planning in a collaborative way in 2013.Round tables: with MA 42, commissioned planners, district authorities, municipal authorities.Open workshops with residents: discussion with residents of their differing ideas and requirements for the use of the park. Aim: improvement of park design with better acceptance by residents

Leon-Zelman-Park,3th District, EurogateAs a result, the park was enriched by few more offers: • table tennis,• slackline bollards, • Outdoor Fitness Equipment

Today: park is highly accepted by residents

• Important were • the information of what is really planned• The discussions among the residents with differing

interests• The possibility for residents to be heard

We need participation ...

… as an important way for social integration.

… in which people with different qualifications and positions communicate.

… which is based on early and detailed discussion - not just merely voting.

… that distinguishes between local and national interest and sets the appropriate level of decision.

… which complements and exemplifies representative democracy.

… to develop our representative democracy together.

… that compensates existing differences in power, rather than to increase them

Participation in GB* has wide range of methods:

… or how to involve people in placemaking:

>> WAS TUN

Multilingually and actively interact with the public

>> WAS TUN

Participation with festive character

>> WAS TUN

Playful ways to raise awareness for the issues

>> WAS TUN

In cooperation with project partners (local actors)

>> WAS TUN

Going there where the people are

>> WAS TUN

Bring people together as a result of conversation

>> WAS TUN

Create space for negotiation processes

and involve affected parties and local stakeholders

>> WAS TUN

Open and “close to everyday life” communication

Thank you for your attention!