Since the 1950s, the guiding concept of the "aufgelockerte Stadt" ("loosened-up city") shaped urban planning. Against the backdrop of reconstruction and growing car traffic, new roads, car parks and traffic axes emerged – an expression of the then-prevailing ideas of a modern, future-proof city.
From the 1960s onward, resistance began to stir: artists, citizens' initiatives and squatters drew attention to the qualities of established urban neighbourhoods and public space.
From this field of tension, the internationally acclaimed "sanfte Stadterneuerung" ("gentle urban renewal") of the Gründerzeit districts eventually developed.
On a guided walk, we take a look at 70 years of urban planning in Vienna and discuss how ideas of a liveable city have changed – and what significance publicly accessible, consumption-free space has today.