Masterarbeit Mario Stefan: Potential of a small city

Potential einer kleinen Stadt – räumliche Gerechtigkeit in Wiener Neustadt

This Master’s thesis Potential einer kleinen Stadt – räumliche Gerechtigkeit in  Wiener Neu-stadt deals with the issue of holistic urban planning by embedding the project in larger scale strategies.
The starting point of the thesis is the fact that many small cities across Europe are struggling with the economic changes of globalisation and the donut effect. The proximity to Vienna is seen as the city’s greatest potential to respond to people’s changing needs. Based on a historical and spatial analysis of the city structure, the railway station and the city centre are strengthened into one unit. As a reference, urban planning principles of Aspern-  Die Seestadt Wiens are integrated into the spatial situation of Wiener Neustadt. An almost identical commuting time from both locations to Vienna’s core city also makes Wiener Neustadt more attractive as a residential location in Vienna’s environs, insofar as mobility, community and residential spaces form a whole as in the reference. This enables partici-pation in the social environment in the core city of Vienna - in the same time. To achieve this, the districts in Wiener Neustadt must be better connected to the main railway station and, at the same time, inner-city densification must be forced. 
Different patterns of use of public space are transformed into thematic corridors. For the corridors, continuity, spatial equity and the promotion of a lively urban life are overriding characteristics. Adjacent areas are described as potential development areas for inner-city densification. The area that offers the greatest influence on urban development is further processed on the basis of analyses of existing functions. Methodically, intersections and profiles of corridors are transformed and the development of the potential area is used to close gaps in the urban network. For the transformation process of the potential area into the Neues Stadtquartier, the people are at the centre. In the development, urban connections and reorganised existing functions shape the built structure of the quarter. An active mix of uses on the ground floor supports the public space and a thematic distribution of functions strengthens the establishment of the social fabric in the Neues Stadtquartier. Ultimately, the aim is to create a holistic picture of how Wiener Neustadt’s inner city can  exploit its greatest potential through urban linkages with inner-city densification and  become a more liveable place for all residents.