iconannual 2016 - The European Business and Invetsment Magazine

Smart Cities & Regions
Pedestrian Zone Mariahilferstraße,
Vienna
Fotos: c.fuerthner/MA18
• Since at least autumn 2015, refugees and asylum
seekers are coming to Europe – most of the time
turning to urban areas with the expectation, that
there will be more options for their future, like better
networks, more housing opportunities and – on
long term – jobs.
Both events already have and in the near future will
intensify their impact on the cities development. And
there are still the meanwhile seemingly "old" trends,
cities already had to face like the demographic change
and social challenges based on migration, changing
lifestyles and the need for affordable housing in combination
with a growing social gap; the spatial coordination
and the (re-)organisation of growth in combination
with conserving resources; energy change,
land-consumption and a reform of land-policy. When
it comes to smart cities and urban areas, new governance
is a still unsolved issue. And last but not least,
the planning instruments and financial ressources are
often insufficient.
The Urban Future Global Conference in Graz, in
March 2016, showed the variety and possibility for a
modern urban development for the sustainable cities
of tomorrow. For the public, especially modern urban
development projects like the Viennese Seestadt Aspern
and the Smart City of Reininghaus in Graz represent
recognisable Smart City acitivities. These are good
examples to show, what the near future in our cities
would look like. Furthermore, it is of great importance
to provide an urban structure, where people can really
Presentation of the Portal www.stadtregionen.at at the „Stadtregionstag“
(Urban Areas Day), Vienna 2015
act smart. What we don't know yet is, where technology
will become a really helpful asset when it comes to
nowadays challenges. Technology is not automatically
"smart" – it can only be used smart and help the city to
involve the inhabitants into a sustainable urban development.
Since 2015, the AACT has – togehter with strategic
partners – adopted an Agenda for city center revitalisation,
an Agenda for urban regions, and is member of a
national working group for the re-organisation of public
transportation in and around cities, because public
transport is the connecting link in the "actual living
areas" of people because of their interdependent relations
between living, working, shopping, recovering,
etc. The economic, cultural and social life does not respect
boarders. The areas with the highest functional
relations are so called "Stadtregionen" – the urban areas
and their structural indicators and development have
been made visible via the Portal www.stadtregionen.at.
Last but not least, the AACT is strongly involved in
Smart City-initiatives and projects. What is the common
sense of all these actions? When it comes to urbanisation
we all will have to adept our life-styles for good.
Cities – and citizens as well – have always proofed to be
adeptable. We will see, what the future "Smart Citizen"
will be like. The city will always be there for everybody.
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