Controversies surrounding Khleslplatz: urban planning without citizen participation?

Controversies surrounding Khleslplatz: urban planning without citizen participation?

The Khleslplatz in Meidling is currently the focus of heated debates - and not without reason. In the shadow of the Biedermeier church “St. Oswald”, the city of Vienna is planning a controversial development that is already meeting with resistance. Again COURIER reported, critical citizens have started a petition and collected over 1,000 signatures to protest against the rezoning into a protection zone.

As is well known, the political decision to implement the corresponding rezoning plan was made quickly - even before the petition was dealt with. This met with strong criticism, especially since citizens were only given the opportunity to express their concerns in the Petitions Committee after the vote in the local council, on June 28th to be precise.

A formally flawed procedure

The KURIER's most recent research uncovered a possible formal error in the procedure: the planning committee failed to put the matter on the agenda in a timely manner, which would have resulted in a separate vote and a required two-thirds majority. District councilor Franz Schodl has already called for political consequences for this “blatant violation”. Walter Blocher from the “Save the Khleslplatz” initiative made a loud appeal mydistrict to the SPÖ mayor Michael Ludwig to bring the matter back to the committee.

Despite the tense situation, the chairman of the planning committee, Omar Al-Rawi, and the municipal administration remain unanswered, while the city of Vienna has already admitted the formal error in a press release. Correcting this error will be considered at the next planning committee on September 2nd. But the city emphasizes that nothing will change in the content of the plans, including the rights of the residents.

Citizen participation is an essential basis

In modern urban planning, citizen participation plays a crucial role in the acceptance and participation in projects. As the Platform for Architects reports, the early involvement of citizens is of great importance in order to identify and address conflicts. Successful examples show that active community engagement often leads to positive change, while challenges such as different opinions can complicate the decision-making process.

However, the challenges facing urban planning are compounded by citizens' frustration when their opinions are not sufficiently taken into account. This could also be a problem in Meidling. Although the city administration offers information, many citizens feel that they are not being heard, which creates a tense climate.

The rezoning at Khleslplatz, which enables “densification” with buildings up to five stories high, not only influences the townscape, but also raises questions about the quality of life. Initiatives like “Save the Khleslplatz” not only call for a return to the citizens, but also for a serious discussion of their concerns.

After all, the construction of a high school “An den Eisteichen” was approved at the same meeting, which further contributes to the impression that the voice of the Meidlinger population is not being valued. The public hearing period ran from January 30 to March 13, 2025, but given the events, a large part of the population feels that they have not been heard.

The next steps will be crucial. Citizens can help shape the direction of urban planning – or at least try to do so – through their feedback and participation in future planning processes. Whether the city of Vienna will hear this voice remains to be seen, but the citizens of Meidling will definitely stay tuned and stand up for their interests.