Implementation Labs: New impulses for neighbourhoods in Vienna and Bratislava

Images
Topic: 
Sustainable redevelopment of (post war) neighbourhoods
Duration: 
2009-2010
Activities IIUE: 

In an Implementation Lab a team of international experts makes an analysis, develops recommendations and constructs a plan- and process strategy for the sustainable redevelopment of an urban area. The international expert team gathers in the area itself and in a three-day session works out a plan.

Implementation Lab is a professionally organised workshop formula that IIUE developed together with partner in the European project MILUnet. IIUE facilitates and directs Implementation Labs in cooperation with the International Intervision Institute.

IIUE facilitates and conducts Implementation Labs for Vienna and Bratislava. Processes to (re)develop urban quarters are time consuming, often with the effect that vision and implementation don’t connect well. When an implementation process thus faces an impasse, an Implementation Lab can help to overcome this situation. In an Implementation Lab expert professionals from actual practice and knowledge institutions from different countries come together. The breakthrough needed can come from looking at the situation from different international perspectives because feared or expected success and failure in other settings often have already been indicated or researched.

Rationale: 

The city of Vienna was a partner in the MILUnet project. Co-workers of the department of urban development have experienced what the impact of Implementation Labs can be. At the moment two redevelopment processes are in need of an impulse. An Implementation Lab for the Liesling-Zentrum area was organised in September 2009. This produced useful results and it was decided to organise an Implementation Lab for Kagran –Zentrum as well. This took place in May 2010.

Follow-up
In Central Europe, Vienna works together with Bratislava. Co-workers of the department urban development will host an Implementation Lab in September 2010. IIUE will conduct and facilitate in the Implementation Lab.

Summary: 

Liesing-Zentrum
The Implementation Lab evolved around these questions:
- How can the area be developed not having all the properties in one hand. How can this one ownership be realized or how can the area be developed without having all the realties in one hand?
- A school campus of approx. 25.000 m2 is needed. Where could such a campus be located and realized financed?
- How to deal with the traffic? All the crossings close to the area are already jammed with cars in the peak hours. Can the two metro stations within this area suffice for efficient connection to and from this area?
- Which functions besides living are applicable there?
- How to organize the developing process?
- What could be the coherent vision, linking all separate developments involving ecology as a main pillar?

The participants of the Implementation Lab worked out these questions in groups, each of which developed recommendations. The main result was that the process should be structured better. A proposal was developed for this. Below the report of the results can be downloaded as a pdf document.

Kagran-Zentrum
In Kagran-Zentrum a new centre is developed around the metro station. A cinema building, a large indoor shopping mall and an ice hockey hall are situated next to the metro station. Office buildings and the new district government building will be built here. The questions for the district Kagran-Zentrum were formulated for three different neighbourhoods and for the district a whole. The participants were dived into four groups, each group worked o none set of questions.

The questions for the whole area:
- How can a centre be created radiating its own distinct character? What makes the place?
- How can the area be recaptured for attractive communal use?

The questions for Schrödinger Platz:
- How to develop better connections especially for pedestrians
- How to develop the area of Schrödinger Platz, what functions are needed?
- How should the public space be reorganised and equipped?
- In what way should the Lettenhaufen neighbourhood – with smallscale housing in a green setting – be developed?

The questions for Attemsgasse:
- How can the area around Attemsgasse be integrated better in the plans for Attemsgasse?
- Hoe can Attemsgasse be made more attractive, how can it distinguish itself and develop a character of its own?

Questions for Kagran Zentrum:
- How can Kagran Zentrum be linked to the Danube waterfront, especially for pedestrians and bikers?
- Is there a way to make the Old Danube recreation area part of the prospective re-developed centre? Is there a need for it?

A report of the results of the Implementation Lab will be available soon. It will be downloadable here.