Background/Motivation

The challenges of climate change require a profound transformation of urban spaces. As a climate-neutral pioneer city, Schwechat has already implemented numerous measures in the fields of mobility, energy efficiency, and urban planning. Since previous approaches have often been sectoral and isolated, the exploratory project "Rathausquartier 2040" pursues an integrated overall approach.

Contents and goals

The project serves as a preparatory step for a demonstration project and aims to develop a well-founded and integrated planning basis for an interconnected system of energy, buildings, open spaces, and social structures in order to create a climate-resilient and multifunctional urban quarter.

The exploratory project focuses deliberately on municipally owned buildings and their synergies with the surrounding environment, as the municipality's direct authority enables the swift preparation of a demonstration project.

The specific objectives are divided into three areas:

1. Strategic integration, vision, and stakeholder involvement: Development of a target vision in coordination with municipal stakeholders and systematisation of previous individual initiatives into an integrated district concept. The continuous involvement of local actors and relevant stakeholders ensures that the project is anchored in local structures.
2. Technical and economic feasibility: Execution of simulation-based analyses in the domains of open space, energy, and buildings, as well as the development of financing and business models.
3. Implementation planning and demonstration project: Preparation of a prioritized roadmap (including costs and operator options) and the design of a cooperative R&D follow-up project to ensure seamless continuation.

Methodical Approach

The innovation of the project lies in the holistic methodology for transforming the district, which systemically combines sectors. The development of the energy concept is directly integrated into district planning to optimally account for interactions between building use concepts and local energy potentials.

Technologically, the focus is on the challenge of establishing anergy networks (low-temperature heating and cooling supply) within existing building structures and suburban areas. To leverage synergies between buildings and open spaces, the project employs the hybrid methods of the City Intelligence Lab (CIL) at AIT, combining participatory co-design workshops with real-time impact assessments (thermal comfort, pedestrian simulations). To generate long-term, sustainable impulses for the transformation of the district, the project also explores the potential of Tactical urbanism and Placemaking.

The consortium is interdisciplinary to reflect the project's complexity: Schwechat, as the owner of the study areas, plays a central role (data provision, strategic guidelines, interface with the public). While AIT addresses energy and impact assessment at the district level, Woschitz Engineering specializes in the building sector. TU Vienna focuses on open space analysis and tactical urbanism.

Expected Results

The results of the exploratory study provide the municipality of Schwechat with a strategic basis for the next step: the implementation of the demo district around the town hall. This makes the exploratory study not only a tool for concrete project implementation, but also a template for sustainable and future-proof urban development that can also be transferred to other cities.

Project management

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology

Project or cooperation partners

• Stadtgemeinde Schwechat
• Technische Universität Wien
• Woschitz Engineering ZT GmbH

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
Romana Berg
Giefinggasse 6
A-1210 Vienna
Tel.: +43 (664) 780 508 87
E-mail: romana.berg@ait.ac.at
Web: www.ait.ac.at/en/city