Image: colourbox.com
But this requires a rethinking and restructuring of urban street space in the sense of a high-quality living space. Rising housing costs and the immense soil sealing are currently ongoing issues in Austria.
A key key to sustainable and resilient urban development is the reintegrating of natural surfaces throughout the city. This “green-blue infrastructure” with the greatest potential in the road network fulfills ecological, social and economic aspects. The researchers argue, among many other points, that there are positive effects on the water balance, quality of life and lower climate-related costs. The “living space for everyone” must be the space between the facades in its entirety.
Trees are particularly important in terms of urban climate as “natural air conditioning systems”. A fully grown, healthy tree such as a chestnut achieves the cooling capacity of ten to 15 air conditioning systems by converting up to 300 liters of water per day. Then there is the shading performance. The prerequisite is soils with a high water storage capacity – keyword: “sponge city”. Once surfaces are sealed, the subsoil becomes heavily compacted and the water storage capacity decreases. Basically, you should always use previously sealed surfaces instead of sealing new ones.
“We cannot afford new buildings as investment properties”
In general, the answer to the housing question is to provide preservation, renovation, energy improvements, but also additions, expansions and adaptation to future usage requirements, says city planner Gaby Krasemann. “And if you still have to build new, then do it cheaply, affordable and through municipal companies and housing cooperatives,” said the local councilor in Villach, Carinthia. “We can’t afford new buildings as investment properties in which no one lives, either socially or economically, and certainly not ecologically.” What applies to residential construction also applies to commerce and industry, says the scientist. It’s about reusing existing buildings. This in turn could work particularly in rural areas and also in town centers.
“New dedication categories for subsidized housing can support a social housing policy,” says Paul Hahnenkamp from the TU Vienna. Because: “Positive steering measures such as contribution payments for undeveloped building land are not enough to encourage private individuals to use it in accordance with the dedication.” Rather, as is planned in some federal states, rededication of grassland should be provided for. The scientist demands that pre-emption and even expropriation options should also be granted to communities or non-profit housing providers in order to either seal less land or create affordable housing.
“In addition to positive planning measures, maximum area specifications for the rezoning of building land should be introduced in the federal states,” continued Hahnenkamp. “Regulations on bias in personal conflicts of interest can do justice to the political implications of dedication procedures.” The researcher believes that living space should not be an investment property. “It is appropriate to extend the rent regulation of the Tenancy Law to newer apartments as well as a vacancy policy that, in addition to financial contributions, enables greater use of unoccupied living space.” At the same time, measures are needed to support owners with ecologically necessary renovations to existing properties.
more from economics
