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Foreword: Otto Eckl and Stephan Hartmann

Introduction

A joint portrait photograph of Stephan Hartmann (left) and Otto Eckl (right), both wearing dark jackets and white shirts and smiling at the camera.

Fig. 5: (l. to r.) Stephan Hartmann (DH MA 25, WieNeu+ Programme Manager), Otto Eckl (Head of MA 25) © City of Vienna/Markus Wache

Urban renewal as a key future endeavour

The WieNeu+ urban renewal programme is implemented under the auspices of the Municipal Department for Technical Urban Renewal (MA 25), which for many years now has been overseeing numerous innovative, exemplary projects that have significantly shaped the ongoing development of Vienna's policy of gentle urban renewal.

In the WieNeu+ programme the City of Vienna purposely cooperates with a large number of private stakeholders, including on projects and issues that we can't always roll out alone or have 100% control over. This allows the municipal administration to take a highly proactive approach to many developments in our city, establishing a strong presence in local neighbourhoods and collaborating intensively with large numbers of people. This is one of the reasons behind Vienna's existing high quality of life, the quality of our historic building stock that has evolved over the years, and — last but not least — the community cohesion and interaction in our city.

The Grätzl 20+2 programme area in the districts of Brigittenau and Leopoldstadt is another impressive demonstration of how WieNeu+ generates momentum on multiple levels, in housing refurbishment projects focussed on clean energy and climate-proofing as well as in active engagement and involvement of local residents. It's not just about joining in, but about co-shaping developments. To date, feedback from stakeholders has allowed us to identify the following value-added factors derived from the WieNeu+ programme:

  • Support for municipal and private measures, and paving the way for additional measures that wouldn't have happened otherwise
  • Additional resources for the local neighbourhood thanks to federal subsidies and municipal funds
  • Direct contact with local residents and an interface to/between local stakeholders
  • Opportunity to pilot measures associated with various departments and remits of the City of Vienna (see Phasing Out Gas "pioneer neighbourhoods", Cool Zones, Grätzlinitiative 20+2 — Call for Projects)

We'd like to express our thanks to everyone involved in this success story, whether their contribution is large or small. This report summarises the past three years of intensive activity by the WieNeu+ team in the "Grätzl 20+2" programme area — we hope you'll find it interesting reading!

At the end of the day, WieNeu+ is about something of essential importance to us all: our home and our living environment. Frequently, the key is to find smart ways of combining technical and social aspects:

WieNeu+ is an impressive demonstration of how this can be done.

Otto Eckl

Head of Department

City of Vienna – Municipal Department for Technical Urban Renewal (MA 25)

Stephan Hartmann

Deputy Head of Department

Programme Manager WieNeu+ and Special Projects