You are here

Home

URBACT NDP Austria - Integrated and Sustainable Development of the Southern Part of Graz

Edited on

21 June 2019
Read time: 1 minute

Urban sprawl continues to be a predominant trend in European spatial development. It is essential that urban development and planning go hand in hand with integrated development of the hinterland. Surrounding municipalities should be integrated more into the general development and urban planning in the future. URBACT CityRegion.net Project intends to define common strategies in developing "master plans for cities and their surroundings" . The Austrian City of Graz is the Project Lead Partner and faces many challenges regarding its integrated regional development. The Austrian URBACT National Dissemination Point focused its attention on what is done in this city and in particular thanks to the Urban Plus programme.

The Urban Plus programme, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, supports projects on integrated and sustainable urban-rural-development in the Southern part of the Austrian City of Graz. This includes urban mobility, integrated urban development, green space corridors and local initiatives to strengthen local economy and the living situation. The programme area comprises Graz and 16 surrounding municipalities. On these 215 km² lives a population of nearly 90,000 inhabitants. The challenges of the City of Graz (transport, attractive green spaces, suburbanization) do not stop at the city borders. Therefore, a cooperation between the City of Graz and it's surroundings is crucial. Further existing regional-economic potentials should be utilized by a harmonized development policy on the basis of an integrated plan.

The region to the South of Graz is characterised by a mix of elements (industry, business and residential areas). To achieve a sustainable and integrated development the Urban Plus programme puts special emphasis on the following approaches:

  • Integrated development of locations with the involvement of the surrounding municipalities which should prepare for a forward-looking, coordinated development of the entire area;
  • Development of open space and nearby recreational areas, and ecological compensatory measures;
  • Mobility measures considering the challenge of the interface between the city and its surroundings;
  • Local partnerships to improve the quality of life and working environment.

These activities are implemented with special regard to the needs of different segments of the population.


Read more:

Submitted by admin on