The excursion in September 2025 focused on issues of spatial planning, urban planning and neighbourhood development in Vienna and the surrounding area. The aim was to combine theoretical principles and institutional structures with specific local projects and to examine how urban planning policy is implemented in practice and how local projects develop.
In Vienna, the focus was on the various administrative departments that implement central urban development strategies and projects. The planning workshop led by the City of Vienna's Department 18 ‘Urban Development and Urban Planning’ provided insights into citizen participation and addressed key topics such as the Vienna Plan, smart city strategies and participatory processes that shape Vienna's urban development. In addition, the Austrian Conference on Spatial Planning (ÖROK) used ÖREK 2030 to highlight the importance of overarching planning strategies for climate neutrality, resource conservation and affordable housing. Vienna's housing construction was presented as a model that ensures social stability through municipal housing, cost limits and quality standards. The excursion encouraged the group to take a critical look at Vienna's municipal housing.
Local neighbourhood projects such as Seestadt Aspern and Sonnwendviertel demonstrated innovative approaches in the areas of mixed use, mobility, gender planning and climate adaptation. Smaller interventions, such as those in the 7th district, also showed the impact of traffic calming and new spatial concepts.
Overall, the excursion highlighted the complexity of spatial planning in Vienna. It showed that sustainable urban development can only succeed through the interaction of federal structures, municipal responsibility and inter-municipal cooperation. It was particularly impressive to see how closely planning, politics and local actors are interlinked and influence each other. The excursion made it clear that successful urban development always requires a combination of strategy, practice and participation.
A detailed report by the students can be found here: Excursion report Vienna.
