The Donaustadt is one of the most quickly growing districts of Vienna. Whereas the city as a whole is predicted to grow by nearly 270,000 people by the year 2034, during the same period the population of Donaustadt is projected to increase by around 60,000 inhabitants—meaning that almost a quarter of the overall city growth will be taking place in this district. In order to give this growth process a basis for orientation, the main Donaustadt area was already declared a target area “Zielgebiet U2 – Donaustadt” in the 2005 urban-development plan. For this section, a strategy plan was drafted, which, based on a joint vision for the area, sets out to facilitate coordinated and networked action. The development goals derived from this, which were taken note of by Vienna’s city development commission, will serve as a foundation for additional planning measures.
In order to meet the condition of well-rounded development for this 26-hectare-large area, the property owners and the MA 21 of the City of Vienna decided to create, through a cooperative planning process, the foundations for district-specific development, with the objective of generating a truly urban, diverse quarter.
Therefore, the pending planning and qualification procedure must meet certain requirements. In the sense of an urban-planning qualification process, it will yield design concepts on the urban development of the planning area and also on the integration of this area with its surrounding environment. This places high demands on the structure of the procedure, on the design of the professional dialogues, and on the selection of a qualified team and of experienced participants who are well versed in such dialogue. Moreover, the procedure is characterized by a publicity-oriented, communicative approach. It is important to foster understanding for and trust in the development playing out in this location. Thus, high demands are placed on the design of an open, transparent process of planning and communication.