TRUE URBAN SPIRIT

Ec–In
quality criteria for the implementation of
gender-sensitive planning and comprises
a set of transferable methods and instruments
for different planning levels: master
plan, land use and development plan
and individual projects. It is to serve as
a practical work tool and comprehensive
reference document in the everyday
activities of planners and administrators
(“Werkstattberichte der Stadtentwicklung
Wien” (No. 130)).
Gentle urban renewal
Gentle urban renewal is a successful
Viennese model. The primary aspects of
gentle urban renewal, which was introduced
in Vienna nearly 40 years ago, have
always been affordable housing based
on financial incentives, social sustainability
and a comprehensive renewal strategy
for the “core city”. The positive trends
of the architectural, social and economic
development of Vienna’s urban renewal
areas are evident. Targeted rehabilitation
and new construction measures upgrade
and rejuvenate neighbourhoods
and quarters. The experts of “Gebietsbetreuung
Stadterneuerung” (Area Management
Office, GB*) serve as the hub for
all re newal processes, but also for all
questions relating to housing, the housing
environment and good-neighbourly relations
within neighbourhoods. As of today,
320,000 dwellings have been rehabilitated
through gentle urban renewal.
Gentrification phenomena
Gentrification trends occur when neighbourhood
milieus of city quarters are
changed by the inflow of affluent population
strata or when long-time residents
are gradually driven away. Gentrification
phenomena may be triggered by investments
in public infrastructure, building
rehabilitation projects or cultural initiatives
of creative milieus that improve
the image of an urban quarter.
Governance
Today, traditional forms of government
are no longer sufficient to make optimum
use of the great diversity of available
units in high-rises are increasingly discussed
as well. The existing guidelines for
the construction of high-rises are being
corre spondingly updated and continued.
ICT Strategy
The ICT Strategy of 2007 is aligned alongside
the Business Strategy of the City
of Vienna and wants to optimise the economic
value added of ICT services and
products for the implementation of the
overall strategy. The ICT Strategy describes
the key objectives, measures and
processes to effectively and efficiently
support the attainment of business goals
on the part of the City of Vienna by means
of ICT. It is the strategic guideline for ICT
use and diversification by all municipal
departments.
Implementation partnerships
An implementation partnership is the
structured, continuous and target-oriented
co-operation of relevant actors regarding
specific issues. These partnerships
require political legitimacy of the representatives
involved and strive for proc essoriented
approaches in implementation,
target and outcome orientation in project
development and in the dissemination
of results.
Informal learning
Informal learning is learning in everyday
life, at the workplace, in a family setting
or during a person’s spare time. It is
unorganised and unstructured with regard
to learning goals, learning support or the
time spent with learning. In most cases,
informal learning is not expressly planned
on the part of the learner. While the results
of informal learning do not normally
entail certification of any sort, they may
be validated and ultimately certified if
linked to the recognition of knowledge
previously acquired through other learning
programmes. Informal learning is also
referred to as “experiential learning”.
Infrastructure Commission
In 1994, the Vienna Infrastructure Commission
was set up as part of the Execuinformation
as well as of the creativity of
society. As a result, administrations are
opening up and complementing hierarchic
forms of control with co-operation ventures
that include other groups of social
actors, e. g. citizens, business circles or
other local authorities.
Green space monitoring
In this regular, comprehensive overview
of the extension, development and status
of Vienna’s green spaces by Municipal
Department 22 (MA 22 – Environmental
Protection), more than 60,000 individual
surfaces are classified as various green
space types; their composition is roughly
assessed, and changes vis-à-vis previous
assessments are evaluated. This monitoring
not only constitutes the most
important instrument of green space surveillance
and habitat research, but also
serves as an essential information basis
for urban planning.
Heat island register
Urban densification and a low ratio of
green spaces intensify heat effects in
urban areas, triggering the development
of heat islands. Thermal imaging (heat
island register) makes it possible to
identify overheated spots and thus permits
the implementation of targeted steps,
such as infrastructure measures (shaded
seats, drinking fountains, spray mist
installations, etc.), urban, spatial and
landscape planning measures (e. g. soil
desealing, ventilation of the city) and
architectural measures (choice of materials,
greened roofscapes and façades,
shading elements, etc.).
High-rise Concept
The construction of high-rises in particular
requires the prior consideration of
urban-structural and urban design aspects.
This inter alia refers to the individual
edifice’s effects on the environs,
location quality and degree of accessibility
by public transport, the social and public
benefits of such buildings and their sustainability.
Moreover, flexible types of
use and the accommodation of housing
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