This pilot study, commissioned by the City of Vienna*, was the first to explore the potential for the superblock concept to be applied to large parts of the city’s existing urban fabric. The driving question was what adaptations to the concept were necessary to fit the Viennese context. LAUT was tasked with developing characteristics for a Viennese “Supergrätzl” underpinned by a mission statement (“Leitbild”).
The pilot area – the Volkertviertel neighborhood in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district – was evaluated in regards to the availability and applicability of the supergrätzl planning principles and a pilot development concept was delivered. This draft concept provided variations for new traffic organization (functional superblock) within the area in conjunction with corresponding concepts for public space development.
One of the proposed scenarios for traffic reorganization was selected based on an array of indicators, and a long-term development concept with a catalog of structural measures was put forth. In order to provide an objective overview of the project's success, and to provide a consistent means of assessing future superblock projects, an impact analysis with quantitative indicators was formulated. In addition, a cost estimate was produced for a potential first implementation phase of a functional superblock.
Active participatory processes are crucial for successfully implementing transformational projects. Therefore the study also adapted and developed innovative participation formats that were tested during a three-day information and consultation event in an open street segment within the project area. Several of these methods are now included in LAUT’s toolbox for conducting streetlabs (“Straßenlabor”).
The Volkertviertel pilot study concluded with the drawing up of recommendations for superblock projects in Vienna that informed the formulation of the Viennese “Supergrätzl”. LAUT built upon this work in subsequent projects such as the Supergrätzl Favoriten as well as the information brochure “Das Wiener Supergrätzl”.
*This project was commissioned to Florian Lorenz and executed collaboratively by the co-founders of studio LAUT.
Location: Vienna
Client: City of Vienna, Municipal Department 18 – Urban Development and Planning
Year: 2020
Project type: Feasibility Study, Tactical Urbanism, Participation
Scale: district
Status: Feasibility Study finished
Team: Florian Lorenz, Georg Wieser, Elena Mali, Matthieu Floret, Belén Iturralde, Carla Schwaderer, Francesco Remonato, Sören Risse, Jannik Eder, Martina Moro
Collaborators: University of Technology Vienna (Traffic Planning), LKTRT (lectorate)
