Development of a Master Planning Guideline

29.06.2009 - 03.11.2010
Assigned research project
In recent history, planning in Vienna involved a variety of processes overarched by the term "master planning". Urban development master plans for projects such as Seestadt Aspern, Kabelwerk Meidling or major railway stations were designed to provide a toolbox for preparing and controlling investments into future planning processes. The master plans also indicate that there is an increasing need for the strategic bundling of public and private interests. The City of Vienna has commissioned a "Master Planning Guideline" with the specific goal in mind to synthesise lessons drawn from completed or ongoing master planning processes in Vienna as well as from international examples and standards in order to facilitate complex and multi-layered planning processes. The "Master Planning Guideline" is based on a comparative study on urban development master plans conducted by the architectural firm Rüdiger Lainer + Partner as commissioned by the City of Vienna, Municipal Department 21B in 2007. In addition, a multiplicity of interviews with representatives from master planning teams of selected Viennese projects and an expert workshop on 11 November 2009 with pertinent high-level staff from relevant municipal departments and other stakeholders have provided important input for the Guideline and helped to formulate precise and relevant targeting and structuring aids. The study is not meant to be a binding directive but is considered a working tool to support the design of complex urban master planning processes. The Guideline wants to open up rather than curb leeway for creativity and tailor-made approaches and is designed to promote awareness of the factors that contributed to improving the quality of successful planning projects and master plans. Usability is a central point. The objective is to provide a structure and framework which make master planning processes understandable – to develop a theory and language that facilitate the transfer of best practice from completed master planning achievements. The Guideline is addressed to planners in public administration, but also to a variety of players in external planning firms, associations and initiatives involved in urban development processes. It is designed to heighten understanding of the specific needs and possibilities of this informal instrument and inform about ways of creatively designing pertinent planning, participation and decision-making processes.

People

Project leader

Project personnel

Institute

Contract/collaboration

  • Magistrat der Stadt Wien - MA 21B, Stadtteilplanung und Flächennutzung Süd - Nordost

Research focus

  • Beyond TUW-research focus: 94%
  • Energy Active Buildings, Settlements and Spatial Infrastructures: 4%
  • Sustainable and Low Emission Mobility: 2%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
StadtplanungUrban Planning
StädtebauUrban Design
MasterplanMasterplan
Planungsprozessplaning process

Publications