On September 25, 2024, the project "TuneOurBlock" was honored in the category of "Research and Science" at the 2024 VCÖ Mobility Award during a ceremonial gala at the Odeon Theater in Vienna. In collaboration with the Institute for Transport Sciences at TU Wien (project lead), the City of Vienna, the planning office LAUT, Smarter than Car, and additional partners from Germany and Slovenia, the team around the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) investigated the forward-looking Superblock concept. The project aims to more equitably distribute urban space, reduce car traffic, and make streets available for alternative uses such as greening and public spaces.
"Superblocks reduce traffic congestion, make neighborhoods more lively, and improve the quality of life for residents," congratulated VCÖ Managing Director Ulla Rasmussen to the project team during the award ceremony.
Superblock concept from Barcelona becomes the "Supergrätzl" in Vienna
The Superblock concept, originally developed in Barcelona, has garnered significant international attention. It envisions calming traffic on streets within residential areas and redesigning public spaces. Cities like London, Berlin, Paris, and Zurich have already launched similar projects. In Vienna, the pilot project "Supergrätzl" in Favoriten is currently being successfully implemented.
Over the past three years, the research project "TuneOurBlock" has explored fundamental strategies to ensure the acceptance and successful implementation of Superblock projects. The focus has been on close collaboration between politics, administration, and civil society, as well as early involvement of the local population.
"Our goal was to develop practical guidelines for urban transformation with a focus on traffic calming, climate protection, adaptation, and quality of life, and to optimize processes in urban planning," explains Viktoria Sandor, Research Engineer at AIT Austrian Institute of Technology.
European network strengthened the development of the Superblock concept
As part of the project, a large European network was established and strengthened through three international Superblock meetings in Barcelona, Berlin, and Vienna. The research involved real-world labs, also known as Urban Living Labs, in Berlin (Kiezblocks) and Vienna (Supergrätzl Favoriten and Lichtental), where the barriers and success factors were analyzed in a local context through a close dialogue between research and practice, and solutions were developed.
In Vienna, the TuneOurBlock project provided scientific support to the Agenda Group Lichtental, testing participatory methods for planning a Supergrätzl in Vienna's 9th district. AIT specifically experimented with digitally supported and hybrid planning methods to better illustrate the impact of different planning scenarios on traffic and quality of public spaces to residents.
The project also compared different approaches in Vienna and Berlin. While the Kiezblock initiatives in Berlin are driven by civil society, Vienna follows a more top-down strategy. Both approaches demonstrate that traffic calming not only promotes climate protection but also enhances the quality of life in neighborhoods. This is precisely where the TuneOurBlock project made its contribution: foundations were established, experiences were gathered and shared, best practices were discussed, and scientific findings were processed.
One highlight was the organization of a total of three International Superblock Meetings held in Barcelona, Berlin, and Vienna over the past few years. Representatives from interested cities and planning experts gathered to exchange experiences, discuss best practices, and process scientific insights.
More information about the project:
https://vcoe.at/mobilitaetspreis-2024/konzepte
About the VCÖ Mobility Award
"TuneOurBlock" was honored at the VCÖ Mobility Award Austria as an outstanding example of innovative mobility research. Austria's largest competition for sustainable mobility is organized by VCÖ in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Action and ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways). This year, 383 projects and concepts were submitted. The projects were evaluated by a panel of experts in each category, and the top five projects were eligible for bonus points through online voting. The TuneOurBlock project makes a valuable contribution to sustainable urban development and demonstrates how the transformation of urban spaces can succeed while considering social and ecological aspects.
In the picture from left to right: First row: Ulrich Leth (TU Vienna), Florian Lorenz (Studio Laut), Francesco Remonato (Smarter than Car) Second row: Viktoria Sandor (AIT), Third row: Tanja Tötzer (AIT), Johannes Müller (AIT), Georg Wieser (Studio Laut), Valentin Gebhardt (City of Vienna), Joshua Grigsby (Smarter than Car), Günter Emberger (TU Vienna)
© VCÖ - Mobilität mit Zukunft/APA-Fotoservice/Madzigon