Vienna has its first "outdoor living room"
The Austrian capital completed its first urban superblock at the beginning of May, transforming part of the Favoriten district into a more pleasant neighborhood. The new concept of public space prioritizes people, greenery, and community life over cars. The project, inspired by Barcelona, has been gradually developing since 2021 with active participation from local residents.
At the beginning of May, the Vienna city government officially opened the first "Supergrätzl," thereby completing several years of transformation of public space in the tenth district. The area defined by Gudrunstraße, Leebgasse, Quellenstraße, and Neilreichgasse now serves as a friendly and safe neighborhood free of transit traffic. People can now spend their leisure time here, meet, and move around without fear of heavy traffic.
The city systematically worked on transforming the neighborhood since 2021. Initially, it prepared a concept, which was then tested in a pilot phase, and from 2023 to 2025, it implemented the actual reconstruction. From the beginning, the city government emphasized local involvement in the preparatory process. Residents participated in "street laboratories," guided walks, and various neighborhood events, bringing their own suggestions that the city government considered when conceptualizing the final form.
The result is a significant transformation of public space, illustrated by specific figures. The city removed asphalt from more than 7,000 m2 of area and replaced it with greenery. It planted 66 new trees and added dozens of green spaces and smaller public squares to the neighborhood. Thanks to the calming of traffic, noise has been reduced, air quality improved, and safety in the streets increased.
According to City Councilor for Urban Planning Ulli Sima, the superblock represents a significant step forward for the Austrian capital. As the councilor stated upon its completion, an international model project has been created here, which gains the character of an outdoor living room due to the calmed streets, new green areas, playgrounds, and seating areas.
The heart of the project is a new pedestrian zone around Herzgasse Secondary School. Today, the space serves not only students but the entire community while helping to mitigate the impacts of summer heat. The surfaces allow for water infiltration, light paving, and water features help cool the area during hot days. The design of the space is complemented by earthy red brick paving, which references the local brick-making tradition and evokes the atmosphere of a peaceful courtyard.
The city added a range of leisure elements to the superblock. Dozens of benches and play zones for children have been added. Cooling features during hot days include two streams, pergolas with misting nozzles, misting systems, water elements, and drinking fountains.
A crucial part of the implementation involved restricting transit traffic. The city government diverted car traffic using diagonal filters on main roads, which calmed traffic within the neighborhood. However, access remains possible, especially for residents, deliveries, and emergency services. The city also adjusted traffic regulations so that most streets allow for cycling in both directions.
The opening of the superblock was celebrated by the city together with residents at a street neighborhood festival.
At the beginning of May, the Vienna city government officially opened the first "Supergrätzl," thereby completing several years of transformation of public space in the tenth district. The area defined by Gudrunstraße, Leebgasse, Quellenstraße, and Neilreichgasse now serves as a friendly and safe neighborhood free of transit traffic. People can now spend their leisure time here, meet, and move around without fear of heavy traffic.
The city systematically worked on transforming the neighborhood since 2021. Initially, it prepared a concept, which was then tested in a pilot phase, and from 2023 to 2025, it implemented the actual reconstruction. From the beginning, the city government emphasized local involvement in the preparatory process. Residents participated in "street laboratories," guided walks, and various neighborhood events, bringing their own suggestions that the city government considered when conceptualizing the final form.
The result is a significant transformation of public space, illustrated by specific figures. The city removed asphalt from more than 7,000 m2 of area and replaced it with greenery. It planted 66 new trees and added dozens of green spaces and smaller public squares to the neighborhood. Thanks to the calming of traffic, noise has been reduced, air quality improved, and safety in the streets increased.
According to City Councilor for Urban Planning Ulli Sima, the superblock represents a significant step forward for the Austrian capital. As the councilor stated upon its completion, an international model project has been created here, which gains the character of an outdoor living room due to the calmed streets, new green areas, playgrounds, and seating areas.
The heart of the project is a new pedestrian zone around Herzgasse Secondary School. Today, the space serves not only students but the entire community while helping to mitigate the impacts of summer heat. The surfaces allow for water infiltration, light paving, and water features help cool the area during hot days. The design of the space is complemented by earthy red brick paving, which references the local brick-making tradition and evokes the atmosphere of a peaceful courtyard.
The city added a range of leisure elements to the superblock. Dozens of benches and play zones for children have been added. Cooling features during hot days include two streams, pergolas with misting nozzles, misting systems, water elements, and drinking fountains.
A crucial part of the implementation involved restricting transit traffic. The city government diverted car traffic using diagonal filters on main roads, which calmed traffic within the neighborhood. However, access remains possible, especially for residents, deliveries, and emergency services. The city also adjusted traffic regulations so that most streets allow for cycling in both directions.
The opening of the superblock was celebrated by the city together with residents at a street neighborhood festival.
The English translation is powered by AI tool. Switch to Czech to view the original text source.
0 comments
add comment
