- URBION - The Revitalization of the Vienna Gürtel    1260 kb by    Tillner, Silja | silja.tillner@tw-arch.at    Short Outline URBION is the successful transformation of an inner-city highway that formed a physical and social barrier into a lively neighborhood, a meeting-point for districts on both sides. T Abstract URBION - URBAN REVITALIZATION OF THE GÜRTEL AREA, VIENNA, AUSTRIA URBAN DESIGN CONCEPT: SILJA TILLNER Project history In 1995 the Vienna Westgürtel, a 6km long and 70m wide 8-lane highway separating the inner from the outer city districts, had become a physical and social barrier. As a consequence, the neighborhoods adjacent to the Gürtel deteriorated, environmental pollution and the red-light district contributed to the negative image. A train viaduct dominated the median of the highway. The percentage of public open space per resident was the lowest in Vienna while many buildings accommodated large immigrant families in overcrowded apartments. The area included ten different city districts with separate budgets. This situation qualified the area for EU- co- financing in the URBAN program. Characteristic of the case, factors that contributed to the success URBION was an urban revitalization project with phased small-scale interventions that were responsive to existing conditions. Reprogramming the area with new uses led to an image transformation and encouraged the allocation of a life-music scene in the vacant arches of the viaduct, cultural and social institutions, restaurants and shops were to follow. The strategy was on one hand to build on existing strengths, on the other hand to utilize derelict open space and vacant arches. The open space was transformed to accommodate newly designed bike paths, pedestrian areas, squares and parks. The arches were filled with activity and their appearance changed due to transparent glass-facades. Image transformation was the key to the success of URBION and was started before the design ideas developed. Renowned music-clubs with their open-minded clientele contributed highly to the early acceptance of the newly claimed area. Functional improvements, i.e. well lit friendly bike-paths and pedestrian walkways in front of the arches, generous landscaping and innovative design of the bars guaranteed a lasting effect. The frequent visitors soon became interested in the adjacent neighbourhoods, accompanying projects in these districts succeeded as well. Aged housing stock was renovated without causing gentrification. Planning Method An intense site analysis preceded the actual planning an d urban design. The positive effects of small-scale interventions responsive to the local context secured public acceptance. The phased implementation allowed for flexibility. The overall strategic plan was developed but kept in the background, it is still followed today. Keywords urban revitalization of inner-city highway, historic preservation reuse of vacant historic monument Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2011: LIVEABLE CITIES: URBANISING WORLD, Meeting the Challenge   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper