Motivation

The transformation of urban neighborhoods is crucial to achieving climate neutrality goals. As a medium-sized pioneering city, Innsbruck is taking on the challenge of implementing the international Superblock concept as a neighborhood demonstration project with a focus on the sub-areas of environmental and residential quality, blocks and buildings, mobility, and social space. 

Following the completion of a city-wide potential analysis in 2025, there is now an urgent need to demonstrate the holistic urban development approach of Superblock for the first time in one of the areas with scientific support and to generate transferable findings for application in other neighborhoods and cities.

Content and goals

The project is developing the first comprehensive, scientifically supported superblock demonstration in a medium-sized Alpine town. The integration of buildings and neighborhoods, consistent reuse of building materials, and application of NEBKritQ quality criteria set new standards for climate-friendly neighborhood development in Europe. 

The core objectives are: 

• prototypical unsealing using sponge city principles for demonstrable microclimate improvements; 
• participatory transformation through diversity-sensitive participation formats with special consideration for FLINTA* persons, children, and marginalized groups;
•  the development of modular, transferable urban building blocks; 
• measurable reduction of motorized private transport and promotion of active mobility.

The "Research by Design" approach is methodologically innovative, combining temporary tactical urbanism interventions with permanent transformations and validating them through close monitoring

Methods and expected results

The project provides evidence-based foundations for climate-neutral urban development: scientifically validated guidelines for superblock implementation with modular urban building blocks, quantified evidence of CO₂ reduction and microclimate improvement. The proven monitoring and evaluation methods enable systematic transfer to other neighborhoods. 

A practical governance model for participatory transformation is being developed for Innsbruck, which can be directly applied in other identified areas of potential. The findings on gender-sensitive planning processes, reuse strategies, and adaptive open space design will be disseminated beyond Innsbruck and made available as applicable guidelines.

Project management

Landeshauptstadt Innsbruck

Project or cooperation partners

• Innovationslabor future.lab - Plattform für inter- und transdisziplinäre Lehre und Forschung, TU Wien
• Studio bauchplan ).( - Landschaftsarchitektur und Stadtplanung

Landeshauptstadt Innsbruck / Dr. Marcus Maier
Maria-Theresien-Straße 18
A-6020 Innsbruck
Tel.: +43 (512) 5360 3361
E-Mail: Marcus.Maier@innsbruck.gv.at