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T. Dillinger:
"Steering growth north of Vienna - Lessons learned drafting a new "regional master plan"";
in: "Planning for Resilient Cities and Regions", University College Dublin, 2013, 949 S.

Steering Growth North of Vienna - Lessons Learned Drafting a New "Regional Master Plan"
Thomas Dillinger
Vienna University of Technology, thomas.dillinger@tuwien.ac.at
Keywords: regional development, planning instruments, process design
The agglomeration Vienna is growing especially in the north of Vienna we expect growth rates of 14% till 2025.
Moreover the construction of a new motor highway from Vienna up to the Czech Republic improved the accessibility of the neighbourhood north of Vienna. This will affect the development of settlements, the operational sites and has a social and technical infrastructure impact.
The government of Lower Austria has reacted to these challenges and decided to elaborate a "regional master plan" to steer the spatial development within this area. More specific this plan should be the spatial framework for the municipalities in terms of building land for housing, economic activities and protection of green zones of regional importance.
Lower Austria has already forty years experience in drafting regional plans. The first Regional Spatial development programme was approved 1982. This kind of programmes are legally binding regulations, are passed from the Lower Austrian Government and are developed in a "top down" oriented approach.
Beside these formal programmes Lower Austria has started in the eighties to promote cooperation in spatial planning. Municipalities can form regional development associations and draft legally not binding development concepts. The local development plan of the municipality should consider these regional concepts. This concepts are developed in a "button up" oriented approach.
Experiences with these two approaches showed often a cap between these two instruments. Thus as part of the pilot project "regional master plan" a new constructive and goal-oriented cooperation of municipalities, regions and countries is tested. Under the motto "Cooperation on Equals" a new approach to regional planning will be developed, which basically should harmonise these two approaches and combine them in one instrument.
A specific challenge within this project was the "process design" for drafting the "regional master plan". How can be insured that the various interests of municipalities, country and state in a growing region can be considered and joined in one common master plan is a key question within this project?
Finally the experience made in this project will point out, if the law on spatial planning of Lower Austria should be modified. Should the legally binding instrument "Regional Development Programme" be changed? Is there a need to adjust the legally binding defined drafting process of these programmes?
The paper presents the results of this research project, explores the gap between theory and practice and investigates the obstacles experienced within this project.
References:
Austrian Conference on Spatial Planning, 2010. Regional Forecasts 2010-2030
Regional Development Programme Area Vienna North, 1999. LGBl. Of Lower Austria 8000/85-0 (155/1999)
<http://www.regionalmanagement-noe.at/uploads/media/Folder_regionaleLeitplanung.pdf>
[Accessed 14 January 2013].

regional development, planning instruments, process design

http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/PubDat_226669.pdf