1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Vienna (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Reinprechtsdorfer Straße ist klimafitte Geschäftsstraße Short description of the intervention The redesign of Reinprechtsdorfer Street in Vienna is a greening initiative aimed at climate adaptation by reducing local temperatures and increasing green space in a densely built urban area. Implemented within one year, the project included planting trees, adding green beds, and widening the pavement to create a more inviting environment. New seating areas, drinking stations, and water play installations were introduced, providing spaces for relaxation, cooling off during high temperatures, and fostering social interaction. Accessibility and traffic safety were enhanced by leveling the pavement with the street and adopting a one-way system for cars. The project, realized in 2023, was part of Vienna's city-wide "Out of the Tarmac" initiative and was spearheaded by the district and city council. It originated from discussions and a participatory design process with citizens dating back to 2014. Previously, Reinprechtsdorfer Street served as a congested connection between Wienzeile and Gürtel. The plan seeks to transform it into a “climate-friendly shopping street.” The redesign involves planting 32 new trees accompanied by flower beds, plus three standalone flower beds. Sidewalks were widened, and amenities included parking for 36 bicycles, nine benches, and seating for 46 individuals. Cooling features such as two water installations, three mist columns, and two drinking hydrants will enhance comfort. Renovation began in spring 2023, focusing first on the 400-meter stretch between Schönbrunner Straße and Arbeitergasse. A structurally separate one-way cycle path will link Schönbrunner Straße to Bräuhausgasse, while the existing cycle lane against the one-way system remained unchanged. (Ref. 1, 2, 6) Website of the intervention https://www.wien.gv.at/margareten/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Heat stress & Extreme temperatures Land use and Socio-economic change Unequal availability and access to public green spaces Implementation area characterization Climate Continental (Cold-summer humid continental, Cold-winter dry continental, Cold-summer dry continental) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Reinprechtsdorfstraße 1050 Vienna Austria Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image Source: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Reinprechtsdorfer+Str.,+1050+Wien/@48.1887539,16.3499017,615m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x476da82ee4e3f257:0xc0166294c8418fb4!8m2!3d48.185022!4d16.3546496!16s%2Fg%2F1wn32glz?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTExMy4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Roads / Roadsides Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2022 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2023 End date of the intervention 2023 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention To improve the quality of life and amenities in the district by reallocating space and expanding pavement areas. To increase green space within the district. To decrease local temperatures and enhance the microclimate. To provide cooling amenities for citizens by widening pavements, installing seating areas, and creating opportunities for social interaction and relaxation. To involve the local community in the consultation and design process (Ref. 2, 5) Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change adaptation Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Regeneration, land-use and urban development Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16) Inclusive governance Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social interaction Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities Initial efforts to renovate the street began in 2014, however the project was not pursued in the planned form due to local elections and personnel changes. (Ref. 1) In the first construction phase in 2023, Reinprechtsdorfer Straße between Schönbrunner Straße and Arbeitergasse was made more attractive, greened and made safe for traffic over a length of around 450 metres. 32 trees were planted and several green beds implemented. In addition to the greening measures, the pavements were widened and new seating, water features and two drinking stations were installed to provide cooling during high temperatures. The difference in height between the carriageway and pavements - was reduced during the renovation, making the road more barrier-free. The street was changed to a one-way system. The redesign of Reinprechtsdorfer Strasse was preceded by a long discussion and planning process involving the local population. (Ref. 2; Ref. 3) Further construction is planned in the coming years to redesign other sections of the street (Ref. 5). Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of any other green urban spaces Improved governance of green or blue areas Establishment of inclusive governance mechanisms involving local communities 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Grey infrastructure featuring greens Alley or street trees and other street vegetation Amenities offered by the NBS Benches and drinking water stations Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Local climate regulation (temperature reduction) Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation Recreation Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The project is implemented in the 5th distrcit of Vienna - Margareten. In 2023, approx. 29.000 people with Austrian citizenship, 10.300 people with EU-citizenship and 15.700 people from non-EU countries lived in the district. The average age is 40,9 years old (2023), and around 36% of the residents have a university degree, and 16% completed an apprenticeship (2021). 106 people are unemployed (2022). The average income is 23.000€ (2021). (Ref. 7) Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries The project was implemented to increase citizens' quality of life, and no other beneficiaries were identified (Ref. 2). Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The project was initiated by the district and the city council, who financed the implementation. (Ref. 2; Ref. 6). Citizens were involved in the planning stage regarding the project's design and preferences (Ref. 2). The garden architecture company kramerundkramer planted the trees (Ref. 2). Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Citizens or community group Private sector/corporate actor/company Stages of citizen and community engagement Planning and design (e.g. site selection, identification of key priorities) Decision-making among different alternative plans Level of citizen and community engagement Moderate Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Creation of collaborative decision-making processes that actively involve community members Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners Public space owned by the city Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Yes Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan" "Out of the tarmac" strategy (German: Raus aus dem Asphalt); Vienna's streets and squares are currently being unsealed, cooled and greened - for future adaptation to climate change, to make public spaces in Vienna climate-friendly and to improve the quality of life. The project is featured on the strategy's website. (Ref. 6) Relevant strategy or plan City specific climate change policy or plan Urban redevelopment plan Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city) Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Funds for NBS in the city: From 2021 to 2025, a total of 100 million euros will be available from the ‘Liveable Climate Model City’ funding pot to make Vienna's streets climate-ready and to fight urban heat islands, among other things. (Ref. 6) Governace and decison-making instruments Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans) Economic and fiscal instruments (e.g. subsidies or grants, charges or fees, payments for ecosystem services (PES)) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers Unknown Financing Total cost More than €4,000,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) approx. 9 Mio. € (Ref. 5) What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? ~9.000.000 € (Ref. 5) Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services) Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of land Co-finance for NBS No Entrepreneurship opportunities No Business models Business models Risk reduction model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Lowered local temperature Achieved lowered local temperature Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Increased number of species present Achieved increased number of species present Description of environmental benefits Lowered local temperature: "By planting new trees, creating green beds and paving the pavements with light-coloured granite stones, the sealing of the ground surface is significantly reduced and the microclimate considerably improved." (Ref. 2) --Achieved increased green space area: "Vienna – Reinprechtsdorfer Straße in Vienna-Margareten – the redesign of which had been the subject of years of debate – will in future be a one-way street." (Ref. 1) --Achieved increased number of species present: "Around 32 new trees are planned. Flower beds are planned around them, plus three additional flower beds without trees." (Ref. 1) Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced 32 trees planted (Ref. 2) Economic impacts Unknown Description of economic benefits Unknown Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Increased opportunities for social interaction Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise Safety Increased perception of safety Achieved increased perception of safety Please specify other socio-cultural impact Traffic safety Description of social and cultural benefits Increased opportunities for social interaction: "Reinprechtsdorfer Strasse was transformed into a climate-friendly shopping street with a high quality of stay, where people like to meet to shop and chat." (Ref. 2) Gain in activities for recreation and excercise: "In 2 areas, games along the way provide fun and variety. The range of non-consumption seating has been significantly increased: 9 new benches, 14 individual armchairs and 32 individual seats on 12 granite elements invite you to chat, relax and linger." (Ref. 2) Traffic safety: "Raising the carriageway improves visibility in the neighbouring crossroads and contributes to increased road safety." (Ref. 2) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting No evidence in public records Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools Unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.) Public disclosure of project funding sources and/or budgets Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project The one-way system offends some residents on the parallel Ramperstorffergasse, which has been subject to increased traffic ever since. (Ref. 3) The initial plans (2014) for the remodelling included the implementation of a pedestrian zone and thereby limiting traffic extensively. As this option was not realised, residents and the Green party criticised the present implementation (Ref. 3; Ref. 4). Positive statements about the project were not found. Trade-offs & Negative impacts Other Please specify Trade-offs & Negative impacts Selected Increased traffic for neighbouring streets (Ref. 3) Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement No initiatives or policies were implemented High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) Yes Goal setting and impacts delivery No, although benefits were delivered in all the 3 key areas, but in the planning phase, the project did not aim to address issues in all the 3 key priority areas. Reaching original project goals Most of the project goals were achieved Please specify the achievements of the project goals Climate action: Lowered local temperature: "By planting new trees, creating green beds and paving the pavements with light-coloured granite stones, the sealing of the ground surface is significantly reduced and the microclimate considerably improved." (Ref. 2) --Achieved increased green space area: "Vienna – Reinprechtsdorfer Straße in Vienna-Margareten – the redesign of which had been the subject of years of debate – will in future be a one-way street." (Ref. 1) --Achieved increased number of species present: "Around 32 new trees are planned. Flower beds are planned around them, plus three additional flower beds without trees." (Ref. 1) Social justice and community: Increased opportunities for social interaction: "Reinprechtsdorfer Strasse was transformed into a climate-friendly shopping street with a high quality of stay, where people like to meet to shop and chat." (Ref. 2) Gain in activities for recreation and excercise: "In 2 areas, games along the way provide fun and variety. The range of non-consumption seating has been significantly increased: 9 new benches, 14 individual armchairs and 32 individual seats on 12 granite elements invite you to chat, relax and linger." (Ref. 2) Traffic safety: "Raising the carriageway improves visibility in the neighbouring crossroads and contributes to increased road safety." (Ref. 2) Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. DerStandard (2022). Wiener Reinprechtsdorfer Straße wird Einbahn – und grüner. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. City of Vienna (n.d.). Reinprechtsdorfer Straße ist klimafitte Geschäftsstraße. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. WienSchauen (2024). Reinprechtsdorfer Straße: Umgestaltung mit Schwächen. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Die Grünen Margareten (n.d.). Begegnungszone Reinprechtsdorfer Straße. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Schuster, B. (2023). Startschuss für die Umgestaltung der Reinprechtsdorfer Straße. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Raus aus dem Asphalt (n.d.). Raus aus dem Asphalt!. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. City of Vienna (n.d.). Margareten in Zahlen. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Comparison: before and after the remodelling WienSchauen Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße after the redesign WienSchauen Image Vienna’s Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000136161240/wiener-reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-wird-einbahn-und-gruener Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/ Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/ Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/ Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/ Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/ Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/ Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/ Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/ Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/ Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Vienna’s Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000136161240/wiener-reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-wird-einbahn-und-gruener
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
Image Reinprechtsdorfer Straße https://www.wienschauen.at/reinprechtsdorfer-strasse-umgestaltung-mit-schwachen/
