Vienna's Seestadt Aspern: International delegation visits showcase project!

Vienna's Seestadt Aspern: International delegation visits showcase project!

Vienna Seestadt Aspern, the largest urban development project in Europe, not only inspires the Viennese, but also attracts international attention. Recently, Singapore's Minister for National Development, Chee Hong Tat, led a delegation to the Seestadt together with Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig. Malaysian Housing Minister Nga Kor Ming was particularly interested in Vienna's innovative approach to using renewable energy. According to that courier When completed, the Seestadt will be supplied with around 80 percent green energy.

The focus on sustainable urban development is, among other things, the reason why Vienna received the renowned Lee Kuan Yew Prize for sustainable urban development in 2020. In addition to energy production, public transport in Seestadt is also a central issue. Taipei Vice Mayor Wen-Te Chang was impressed by the priority given to public transportation - an aspect that stands out especially given the historically critical voices over the construction of a subway station in 2012. Mayor Ludwig remembered these beginnings and the challenges associated with them.

Sustainability and public connectivity

Seestadt Aspern is not only a showcase project for renewable energy, but also a model for innovative mobility. The current traffic situation shows that motorized individual transport currently only accounts for 20 percent - a value that is expected to continue to fall. Sustainable economies highlights that the development will take place in several construction phases over at least two decades and aims to create 20,000 residents and the same number of jobs. During development, it is important to keep areas free for business, which Mayor Ludwig particularly emphasized.

A central player in the Aspern development is Wien 3420 Aspern Development AG, which is responsible for project management. This ambitious project is based on four pillars: open space and microclimate, energy supply across buildings, demonstration projects in various areas and monitoring systems for evaluation and optimization. These approaches are intended not only to improve the quality of life of residents, but also to serve as a model for other cities.

International delegation and knowledge exchange

The delegation not only visited Seestadt, but also the Karl-Marx-Hof in Heiligenstadt to learn from Vienna how social housing can be successfully designed. In Malaysia, the ownership rate is 77 percent, which makes rental apartments less important there. This highlights the need to compare the different housing models internationally and learn from each other.

Visits to other facilities such as the Danube Island, which serves as a local recreation area and flood protection, and the Nordbahnhofviertel were also part of the program. Gerhard Hirczi, chairman of the supervisory board of the Aspern development company, emphasized the importance of public connections for the success of the project and confirmed the relevance of international exchange.

Vienna is taking big steps into the future and setting standards for sustainable urban development - not only the Viennese but also international partners know this. The Seestadt Aspern could prove to be a blueprint for other cities around the world.