4.7 Property development & circular economy study for the Favoriten tram depot
Partner: Wiener Linien
When planning the WieNeu+ programme, the Innerfavoriten tram depot (owned by Wiener Linien) was defined a key property in the project area because of its size and potential. The central concern of WieNeu+ lay in identifying, together with Wiener Linien, potentials for climate-resilient renewal in order to meet the requirements of both the neighbourhood and the ongoing operation of this site. The challenge lay in the fact that the time horizon of such a project far exceeds the WieNeu+ programme period for Innerfavoriten.
A co-creation workshop was conducted jointly with Wiener Linien, the architects commissioned with a feasibility study as well as interested municipal partners and representatives of science and economy. The objective lay in developing duly adapted utilisation concepts that, in addition to a varied mix of different forms of use, would specifically focus on education infrastructure.
On an initiative of the “DoTank Circular City 2030” programme and in collaboration with WieNeu+, the enterprise “Materialnomaden” prepared a status quo survey as well as a study of the circular economy potential of the tram depot. This resulted in a catalogue of materials and components which included all building materials and masses that make up the tram depot as well as a CO2 matrix and which can serve as a basis for future material use (this was conducted via the EU-funded “Deep Demonstrations” project launched by Climate-KIC). The data gathered are used to further develop the tram depot and are to enable its rehabilitation according to the principles of a circular economy. However, an application (supported by WieNeu+) to JPI Urban Europe for the drafting of an innovative development concept and the multifunctional transformation of the site was not accepted for funding.
In 2022, the technical and engineering college HTL 3 / Camillo Sitte Bautechnikum was charged with developing a concept for the Favoriten tram depot as part of the curriculum. Interim findings were presented at a symposium, with WieNeu+ participating in the jury that evaluated the students’ performance.
Outcomes
The co-operation between Wiener Linien and WieNeu+ began at a very early phase of project development. Coincidently, the time horizon for implementation extended far beyond the WieNeu+ programme period for Innerfavoriten. Realising a project of these dimensions normally calls for comprehensive, multi-year co-ordination processes between numerous stakeholders before even considering practical implementation.
Despite these obstacles, WieNeu+ was able to generate important impulses already during an early stage of property development. Circular economy concepts and the greenpass check were integrated into the development of the tram depot at an early date.