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Mayor Klaus Schneeberger, after presenting the new urban development plan of Wiener Neustadt , Source: City of Wiener Neustadt

Wiener Neustadt launches first de facto urban development plan

Wiener Neustadt launches first de facto urban development plan

It focuses on building upon the strengths of the city and getting it ready for the demands of the next 10 to 15 years

On Monday, authorities in Wiener Neustadt, a city in the federal state of Lower Austria unveiled its first-ever de facto urban development plan. The plan took a five-year-long collaboration between city officials and experts and it covers the next 10 to 15 years.

Furthermore, the new urban development plan should help the city face the challenges of the future. It focuses on areas like sustainable mobility, living space, strengthening the city centre and climate protection.

Building up what is already there to strengthen the future

The main concept behind Wiener Neustadt’s urban development plan is to continue the city’s best practices into the future while expanding them to cover bigger parts of the city.

Notably, authorities have decided to keep a current construction ban in place. The 2019 construction ban prohibits the development of buildings with more than 10 units in the city’s territory. Furthermore, authorities want to promote a diverse mix of municipal, cooperative and privately financed housing.

In terms of mobility, authorities are targeting monomodal residential areas with the idea to provide both public transport and cycling options. This would interact with climate goals, as it should reduce and slow traffic.

In terms of climate, the city has said it wants to strengthen green areas in the suburbs. At the same time, concepts for the city centre include climate adaptation like installing water mist systems.

Mayor Klaus Schneeberger was quoted in a press release saying: “This municipal council resolution has historical significance for our city – it is de facto the first time since the city was founded that we are proceeding with urban planning in such a structured manner.”

According to the ORF, the Austrian national broadcaster, the plan has faced some criticism from the Greens. They claim that the plan lacks significant measures to address climate issues like soil sealing and expanding green areas.

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