Vienna’s first super neighborhood

In Vienna, blocks of houses are grouped together as so-called Grätzl, comparable to the neighborhoods in Berlin. On October 20, the ground-breaking ceremony took place for the first permanently redesigned Grätzl – the Supergrätzl, which refers to neighborhood improvement measures. The superblocks in Barcelona serve as a model. Find out more about the Vienna Supergrätzl here.

Cities must increasingly respond to climate change. As urbanization takes its course, extreme weather events also bring new challenges. As Vienna is already feeling these effects, it is responding with urban planning. Forward-looking and effective projects are needed. The Supergrätzl is therefore a response to the climate crisis in densely populated cities. The transformation to a Supergrätzl describes an improved quality of stay and life in the neighborhood. The focus is on the well-being of the residents. To this end, the use and design of public streets is being reoriented. Traffic calming and safety are creating new open spaces that can be greened to cool off and used for leisure.

The City of Vienna is implementing the first Supergrätzl in the tenth district of Favoriten. More precisely, on 9.5 hectares between Gudrunstrasse, Leebgasse, Quellenstrasse and Neilreichgasse. Why was this neighborhood chosen? It is densely populated and has very few open spaces. As a result, the area suffers particularly badly from the heat in the summer months. The park on Erlachplatz is therefore an important hub. Favoritener Grätzl is also home to several educational institutions. Traffic calming and safety are therefore also key factors here.

Since June last year, a pilot phase has been working on a new traffic organization. Colored road markings were installed and eleven one-way streets were reversed. This kept motorized traffic out of the district. However, pedestrian and bicycle traffic continued to be unrestricted. This created new, high-quality open spaces. In summer 2023, residents were able to share their impressions, wishes and ideas about the pilot project at an event. What they liked will now be expanded or converted. This conversion work will take place in two construction phases. The first started in October and will last one year, followed by the second phase.

Planning Councillor Ulli Sima says of the project: “A great transformation awaits this neighborhood in the heart of Favoriten. The intensive pilot phase has already shown how much potential there is here for more quality of life and greenery. I am delighted that all of this is now becoming a reality and would like to thank the district for its willingness to work with us to create Vienna’s first super neighborhood.

“For residents and users, there will be more greenery, more quality of life, more safety and less traffic in future. Now it’s time for step-by-step implementation,” says district leader Marcus Franz. NEOS Vienna urban planning spokesperson Selma Arapović comments as follows: “The elements of the Supergrätzl concept include not only measures for greening and adapting to climate change, but also revitalizing the first floor zones and upgrading the public space.” The Supergrätzl is to become a kind of “urban living room”. To achieve this, the Supergrätzl will bring more green and blue into the district. All of this will significantly improve the quality of life. And at the same time, climate change adaptations are being made. After all, the city has to combat the urban heat island effect.

In addition to the existing 47 trees, 62 trees and 94 green spaces are now moving into Favoriten. In addition to a more aesthetic cityscape, this also provides shade and cooling in summer. A permanent pedestrian zone forms the core of the Supergrätzl. This will be set up around the Herzgasse secondary school. The sidewalk in front of the municipal kindergarten in Gudrunstraße is also being widened and seating is being added. In the crossing areas, 17 so-called micro open spaces are being created. These are intended to encourage people to linger and play and offer opportunities to cool off. Here you will find fogging systems and water features on unsealed surfaces. Light-colored paving will mark the new recreational areas from now on.

Another key factor is the prevention of through traffic. In Favoriten, car traffic is now diverted to the main roads using so-called modal or diagonal filters. The diagonal filters consist of four green concrete rings and a removable steel bollard. This prevents traffic from passing through the area. Access and exit routes are of course still available for residents. Routes for service and emergency vehicles are also not affected. This measure makes walking and cycling in the Supergrätzl more pleasant and offers an attractive alternative to private cars. Also interesting – the concrete rings of the diagonal and modal filters have been repurposed in the interests of the circular economy. Previously, they could be found as litter garbage cans on the Danube Island.

The Supergrätzl is a new tool for a Vienna worth living in. To this end, it has been firmly anchored in the Smart Climate City Strategy Vienna, the Vienna Climate Roadmap and the government agreement of the Progress Coalition. This neighborhood measure also combines various target areas of the STEP urban development plan, such as mobility and transport, climate change adaptation and climate protection, participation, social inclusion, health and well-being. The Supergrätzl therefore helps to gradually transform Vienna into a model climate city.

The inspiration behind the Supergrätzl: everything you need to know about superblocks in urban planning can be found here.