KEP (courier, express and parcel) services are an increasingly important and no longer negatable basic service in the city. Above all, the steadily increasing online trade, but also the growing number of inhabitants and the increase in single households in Vienna will also increase the demand for these services in the coming years. But what is the economic development of the industry, what is the significance of CEP services for the business location and urban development and what are the burning issues in the coming years? We are investigating these and other questions together with the Federal Environment Agency on behalf of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce.

Project partner: Federal Environment Agency

mecca supports the Vienna Chamber of Commerce in updating the Schanigartenkaster. For this purpose, the notices from 2017 provided by the client are entered into the existing database. As a result, the data are available as GIS shapefiles with the corresponding atrribute table.

After mecca had already been commissioned by the Vienna Chamber of Commerce to update the Schanigartenkataster in 2017, we processed the notices from 2018 on behalf of the City of Vienna. In the process, the inventories from 2017 and 2016 were also standardised in accordance with the column specifications of MA46 (e.g. location, public space, permit period, status, winter outdoor café, etc.), so that a uniform, up-to-date and comparable database is now available for this period. We processed 1,179 notices from 2018, 671 notices from 2017 and 117 notices from 2016. The data are available as GIS shapefiles with the corresponding attribute tables.

In the dynamically developing region around Neusiedlersee and directly on the lake, various spatial requirements culminate due to the diverse attractive framework conditions, especially with regard to spatial and settlement development, the handling of building land on the waterfront, recreation, culture and tourism, energy, economy and land management, nature and environmental protection, etc.

mecca supports the province of Burgenland in the preparation of the “Masterplan Neusiedler See” within the framework of a participatory process. For this purpose, the involvement of the relevant stakeholders and political decision-makers as well as the involvement of the interested population and other relevant private organisations and institutions is to be provided for in a separate module.

The Austrian Rural Development Programme (LE Programme) 2014-20 bundles all measures to support rural areas. As part of the metis consortium, mecca was commissioned for the accompanying evaluation of eight project types in Priority 6 of the Rural Development Programme. After the completed implementation report 2017, the processing of the extended annual evaluation report 2019 now follows. mecca is responsible for the evaluation of the following thematic areas:

• Tourism: support for the development of innovative pilot projects, cooperation of small-scale economic operators, workflows, resource use and tourism services, establishment and operation of rural tourism clusters, investment in small-scale tourism infrastructure.
• Village renewal: plans and development concepts, implementation Local Agenda 21
• Implementation of climate and energy projects at local level

Project partner: Metis

The aim of the INTERREG project ConnReg AT-HU is to improve the integration of existing local and regional networks in cross-border cooperation. In order to identify potential thematic areas for the next INTERREG programme period (post-2020), a survey including already existing projects and future project actors of the Austrian-Hungarian border region is carried out.

mecca supports the project partners with the analysis of the strategic documents on the priority themes of the INTERREG AT-HU programme prepared within the framework of ConnReg AT-HU and the already existing documents on the programme period 2021-2027, an online survey of the needs of cross-border cooperation, as well as with the implementation of qualitative group interviews with Hungarian and Austrian experts on framework conditions and thematic areas for cross-border cooperation. These results will be discussed in thematic workshops with a focus on the funding period 2021+ together with Hungarian and Austrian project promoters, potential new project partners and other important actors from the field and examined for their relevance for cross-border cooperation.

On the property Florastraße 6 in Bad Vöslau, the old Louisenvilla is to be renovated on the one hand, and the multi-family residential building Louisenpark is to be built on the other. In the immediate vicinity is the spa park, a senior citizens’ residence and the municipal open-air swimming pool.

The current forest-like character of the property is to be preserved as far as possible – especially the pine stand.

In order to preserve or create further ecologically valuable areas, plantings of several trees, flowering shrub hedges, planting beds with perennial mixtures, vertical greenery on a house wall or on wire ropes along the rubbish room as well as the greening of the entire flat roof of the apartment building are planned.

Project partner: DI Doris Haidvogl – Engineering Office for Landscape Planning

The baum2020 sustainability study is a guideline for the institutionalisation of the baum2020 project, which serves the project partners as a basis for decision-making in order to be able to narrow down the future thematic and task areas as well as the future geographical scope of the Bratislava Umland Management (BAUM). Based on this, a rough model comparison provides a basis for decision-making in order to be able to narrow down the type and manner of BAUM institutionalisation more closely. Within the scope of the assignment, the support of important actors will be obtained in order to make the institutionalisation possible in the first place.

The Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve is not only characterised by a unique natural diversity – the encounter of different climatic and geological zones causes very diverse habitats and a special variety of animal and plant species – but also by a cultural and economic diversity.

In the course of a regional economic analysis, mecca is developing a well-founded fact sheet on the regional economy in the biosphere reserve. We shed light on the following focal points:

• People and fellow human beings
• Landscape and settlement
• Climate, energy and mobility
• Economy and tourism

The Burgenland Department for Women, Antidiscrimination and Equal Treatment, together with the Employment Pact, is organising a conference for young people 16+ on the topics of “Equal Opportunities and Violence” and “Equal Opportunities and Work/Education” in December 2019 at Friedensburg Schlaining. The conference builds on the results of previous school workshops. A total of about 150 participants, at least half of them young people, are expected at the conference.

mecca supports the event organisation for this event.

The Danube power plant Altenwörth is the most powerful river power plant in Austria. The height difference of the barrage is 13.9 metres and is thus a barrier for fish and other aquatic life. This obstacle will be overcome in the future with a fish migration aid, which is being built as part of a LIFE+ project. With a length of 12.5 kilometres, it will be the longest fish migration aid in Lower Austria. VERBUND Hydro Power is coordinating the LIFE+ project.

Together with ALLRegio, mecca is in charge of the “Socio-economic Analysis – LIFE Network Danube+ ALTENWÖRTH”, the aim of which is to identify the potential socio-economic impacts of this project and to present them in advance. Key indicators for the most important socio-economic impacts are identified and mapped.

These key indicators provide the basis for monitoring, which is planned in the course of the project “LIFE Network Danube+ ALTENWÖRTH”. The guiding theme for this is: Regional added value through a nature conservation project (LIFE+) on the Danube at Altenwörth.

Project partner: ALLRegio

The CERUSI project implements Social Innovation Labs to build skills and capacity for social innovation and social entrepreneurship. Rural regions in Central Europe often lack support structures to keep people in the region. In contrast to urban areas, there is little economic impetus to support people who want to change things for the better in their community.

With regional master planning, a new instrument was created in Lower Austria in 2012, with which the previously used instruments of order and development planning (regional spatial planning programme and small regional framework concept) are more closely interlinked. In the meantime, master plans have been carried out in various regions. The task of this project is to evaluate regional master plans already carried out and existing regional spatial development programmes, as well as to carry out two pilot processes of master planning to be carried out independently of each other.

Project partners: ÖIR GmbH, Stadtland GmbH

With regional master planning, a new instrument was created in Lower Austria in 2012, with which the previously used instruments of order and development planning (regional spatial planning programme and small regional framework concept) are more closely interlinked. In the meantime, master plans have been carried out in various regions. The task of this project is the implementation of two master planning processes to be carried out independently of each other in the regions Bucklige Welt /Lower Austria South.

The LEADER Region Triestingtal will start the strategy process for the new LEADER period 2023-27 in September 2021. Building on the existing LEADER Strategy 2014-2020, an overall strategy with concrete outputs in the 4 fields of action (value creation, natural space and cultural heritage, common good and climate) will be developed in a broad bottom-up process with representatives from politics and civil society.

The LEADER Region Bucklige Welt – Wechselland will start the strategy process for the new LEADER period 2023-27 in September 2021. Building on the existing LEADER Strategy 2014-2020, an overall strategy with concrete outputs in the 4 fields of action (value creation, natural space and cultural heritage, common good and climate) will be developed in a broad-based bottom-up process with representatives from politics and civil society.

Preparation of comprehensive, uniform and optimised management plans for all six Burgenland nature parks, based on the Austria-wide recognised 4-pillar model of nature parks. The result is an “Action Plan 2025” per nature park, which can be used as an aid for project submissions in the national and international context and should lead to the direct implementation of activities.

Partner: E.C.O. Institute for Ecology, Project Consultancy Schlögl

On 31 December 2021, around 500 permanent licences for the installation of Schanigärten on public property in Vienna will expire. The entrepreneurs concerned must therefore submit new applications for the 2022 season. The current (stricter) guidelines will be applied. For some entrepreneurs, this means that their new Schanigärten will be significantly smaller or that they will no longer be allowed to set up Schanigärten from 2022. These entrepreneurs are to be informed promptly by the Chamber of Commerce so that they can react to the changed situation in good time.

The Welcome Info is intended to provide assistance and orientation, especially for Slovak newcomers in the Austrian surrounding municipalities, so that they can find their way around in their new environment more quickly, especially with regard to administrative and cross-border matters.

With the help of the Welcome Info, which will subsequently be translated into Slovak, the most important questions for newcomers are to be communicated in an understandable way right from the start. The target group is people from neighbouring countries (especially Slovakia) who already live in the Austrian border area or who want to settle in the border municipalities of the districts of Gänserndorf, Bruck an der Leitha or Eisenstadt.

With the pilot project “b-solutions”, the Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government, Department of Kindergardens and Schools has set itself the goal of identifying sustainable methods for overcoming these legal or administrative obstacles in cross-border kindergarden and school attendance.

The interim evaluation of the PaNaNet+ project presents a comparison of the objectives and the actual situation.

In the border area, there has been cycling tourism expertise and cycling tourism offers for years. The KTM cycle path has existed for a long time. It runs partly parallel to the new EuroVelo 13 and crosses EuroVelo 9 (via Brno – Vienna). The KTM Cycle Path East along the Morava River has so far partly run on paths that are less suitable for tourism. Therefore, efforts have been made for years to make the section between Hohenau and Engelhartsstetten more attractive or to relocate it to new routes. The proposals for the new routes run through nature-sensitive areas. Now a nature conservation permit has been granted subject to certain conditions. Essential for this are appropriate visitor guidance measures (barriers, visitor information, etc.) and subsequently monitoring of the effect of the proposed and implemented measures.

Many of the business areas in Vienna that are located in bigger districts or peripheral locations are facing major changes. The development of the city is moving closer to them and they are affected by this transformation. The main project and processing objective is to secure the long-term existence of the business and industrial areas as attractive locations with a distinctive identity.  The expert workshops on the topics of resource-saving management, settlement development and transport, the dialogue with the entrepreneurs and the open and exciting exchange with our clients contribute to making the 9 business areas fit for the future.

PHASE 1: Work on analysis, trends and challenges
PHASE 2: Formulation of the spatial development model
PHASE 3: Information, coordination and involvement of stakeholders
PHASE 4: Preparation of a final publication

Project partner: Modul 5

The Connecting Regions (ConnReg) AT-CZ project aims to network regional development in the program area, which is currently still very much organized at district and state level. A common challenge is not only the coordination of regional policy fields of action (transport infrastructure, nature conservation, culture, spatial development, etc.) but also the improvement of the overall quality of cross-border projects. The goal is to strengthen institutional cooperation between the Austrian federal provinces and the Czech counties with a focus on active cooperation in the areas of strategic planning and joint optimized information policy. The task is also to provide potential project promoters and applicants with an appropriate overview of the possibilities and advantages of cross-border cooperation. The project region covers the entire program area of Interreg V-A AT-CZ.

In regional policy and spatial development, the following priorities are pursued by the federal, state and local governments:

– Strengthening the knowledge base and innovative power of companies, research and training institutions
– Facilitating regional, national, cross-border and internationally oriented economic activities
– Increasing resource and energy efficiency, especially the use of renewable energies and new technologies
– Measures to adapt to climate change
– Strengthening rural areas (e.g. regional products, quality of life, mobility, etc.)
– Urban-urban cooperation, etc.

These regional policy priorities will be presented and discussed on the basis of practical examples. In addition to input from the course instructor, the focus is on the joint development of the content.

Within the framework of the Interreg project RegioCoop SK-AT, the Burgenland Business Agency and NÖ.Regional as project partners organize several cross-border events, which are to be accompanied by an external moderator as a technical expert. The events will take place within the following work packages:

Work package 3: Definition of strategic topics
Work package 4: Thematic networks

baum 2023+ is to elaborate a perspective for the further development of the border region. In the course of this assignment the following points were to be considered:

The contractor has designed and implemented a compact accompanied process for the development of a strategy for the project baum_cityregion.
The strategy shall be based on the existing region delineation of baum.
The strategy shall have a short and medium term perspective (2023 to 2027), as well as a long term perspective (2028+).

The region of Römerland Carnuntum is becoming more and more interesting for private individuals, companies and organizations from home and abroad. Never before has there been so much pressure from outside, and never before has the demand for land been so great as it is today.

At the same time, the quality of life of the people should be maintained and even increase now and in the future. To achieve this, the various interests from the economic, social and environmental sectors must be coordinated – and this can only succeed if all the communities in the region plan and act together with foresight.

Models are to be developed for this cooperation between the communities. The project employs various methods:

In a so-called “participatory scenario process”, ideas are developed on how the Roman Carnuntum region can become a model region for transformation and redesign. In a scenario process one examines as precisely as possible and from many different angles how different measures could have an effect.
In “Serious Games” (translated: serious games, learning games) the participants deal with planned projects in a playful way. This allows them to try out what consequences different actions might have. At the same time, learning games are also intended to promote a sense of attachment to the project
In two real labs, concrete projects are carried out and tested for their applicability and usefulness.

Parndorf is currently working with external experts on the creation of a local development concept (ÖEK). It is about community development on a large scale, also about settlement boundaries, growth and the creation of open spaces. Different points of view are to be taken into account in the local development concept. In addition to experts, the opinion of citizens is very valuable. The results of the Citizens’ Council are passed on to the experts as suggestions for consideration and consideration. The suggestions will be passed on to the working group on the ÖEK and the guiding principles will be presented to the responsible persons in the municipality at the Citizens’ Café in the fall of 2022.

With regional master planning, a new instrument was created in Lower Austria in 2012, with which the previously used instruments of regulatory and development planning (regional spatial planning programme and small regional framework concept) are more closely interlinked. In the meantime, master planning has been carried out in various regions. The task of this project is to evaluate the Regional Spatial Planning Programme of the Pioneer Region North Vienna from 2012.

The Strategy 2030 for the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald is to provide a framework for the joint work in the coming years. In a joint workshop of the Science Advisory Board and the Regional Forum, the principles and guidelines developed so far will be reflected upon and deepened.

Project management is the new “must have” skill set for young professionals and newcomers in the international career scene. Sooner or later during your career, you will come into touch with this topic.

The course is practical oriented, and students should gain  a solid foundation in what it means to conduct a project and how to do it right.

Starting with an introduction to the field and basic concepts students are asked to come up with our own project ideas. This task involves a lot of teamwork and good communication among project members, especially taking. The project might be  fictional or something you really want do develop

• Students should bring some background-knowledge concerning the suggested project and topic
• The project must be a manageable in the framework of our course
• Within the course we will elaborate the project in detail (with the 13 steps method)

The project Connecting Regions (ConnReg) AT-CZ aims to bring together regional development in the programme area, which is currently still very much organised at district and country level. A common challenge is not only the coordination of regional policy fields of action (transport infrastructure, nature conservation, culture, spatial development, etc.) but also the improvement of the overall quality of cross-border projects.

As the programming of the next INTERREG funding programme AT-CZ is in the start-up phase, meccas task is to analyse the needs, potentials, themes and absorption capacity of the programme region and to identify key project proposals for the future programming period. To achieve this, mecca screens documents and data on the programme region and conducts several national and bilateral workshops with Czech and Austrian experts and project promoters, potential new project partners and other stakeholders.

NAFES (Lower Austrian working group for the promotion of shopping in town and city centres) supports activities aimed at increasing the attractiveness of urban shaped village centres and gaining new circles of customers. During the funding period 2013-2016 207 projects were funded with a total investment volume of € 12.4 million and public funds in the amount of € 3.3 million.

mecca conducted an impact analysis regarding the funding period 2013-2016 with the aim of deducing suggestions for NAFES 2017+.

Lower Austria has committed itself to reduce the energy consumption and the greenhouse gas emissions. Measures are defined in the NÖ Klima- und Energieprogramm 2020 (Lower Austria Climate and Energy Programme). They are consistent with European, Austrian and Lower Austrian climate protection measures.

The aim of the study commissioned by EVN is the question how regional and communal development and energy supply could be better coordinated in order to generate benefit regarding security of energy supply, energetic and economic efficiency, climate protection and minimising environmental impacts. mecca conducted a data analysis, and developed usage suggestions for model communities.

project partner: Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt)

The Project “Education grows” in the region Buckelige Welt-Wechselland is a initiative by educators, parents and the economy. It is financally supported by the LEADER Region Buckelige Welt-Wechselland.

Aims of the project:

• Impulses and advanced education for everybody interested in it (f.e. network meetings for parents)
• Cooporation and exchange between local businesses and schools
• “Education days” with a practical orientation and interesting lectures (f.e. by Margret Rasfeld, Gerald Hüther, Alexander Pointner)

mecca supports the LEADER Region Buckelige Welt-Wechselland with project development and implementation.

The Austrian Rural Development Programme (LE Programme) 2014-20 combines all measures of supporting rural areas. As a part of a consortium formed by metis, mecca is assigned to the evaluation of the achievement of objectives regarding the following topics:

–   Model projects in rural tourism
–   Rural tourism
–   Village renewal
–   Civic participation
–   Vitalisation of town centres, revitalisation of buildings and infrastructure for leisure, culture and education

project partner: Metis

The austrian “Building Report” is issued regulary. The main aspects of the 3rd edition of the report are landscape, residential building and communal construction. Hannes Schaffer is one of the experts for the chapter “landscape” alongside Sybylla Zech. They develop case scenarios which should illustrate a probable future development. This expert evaluation is used as a basis for decision making for federal and regional politics. The report will be released end of 2016.

project partner: Plattform Baukulturpolitik (Platform Building Culture Policy)

The aim of the roadmap “Agenda For Urban Regions in Austria” is to establish urban regions as fields of political action.

The roadmap shows the next steps, containing the main focuses as well as specigic guidelines and time horizons. The roadmap relies on an interaction to the ÖREK recommondation “Für eine Stadtregionspolitik in Österreich”, which arised from the ÖREK 2011. It focus is on measures which strengthen the political weight of planning and acting in an urban region.

The city of Bratislava would like to be approved as a “Smart City” in Central Europe. The main topics of the city are “Smart use of resources”, “Smart community”, “Smart economy”.

In a roadmap the implemenatation of these main topics is to be elaborated. A city with a high quality of living, an innovative economy and creative start-ups is the goal. Therefore, the city of Vienna is a cooperation partner, as these two cities are confronted with similar challanges: A tight budget but also services and situations that need to be tackled efficiently and environmental-friendly. Thinking outside the box and practise an exchange of knowledge and experiences is the order of the day.

Since a few years, there are ambitions to improve the cycle path along the river March and to find new routes, which are more suitable for touristic use. Since the new routes pass through ecologically sensitive areas, this entails certain nature conservation requirements. To meet these reqirements, a set of measures to safeguard the visitor guidance need to be undertaken and subsequently monitored regarding their efficiency.

In close cooperation with the concerned municipalities, we elaborate the necessary measures in detail (e.g. visitor information, enclosures…), define their location and outline them in a code of practice.

project partner: Karl Reiner (ÖAR)

The Lower Austrian Housing Research provides fundings for projects, aimed on research on innovative living and housing. We participate with a project considering following aspects:

1. Single-family houses have been the priority type of housing during the last few decades
2. Aging of population leads to an increasing demand on services supporting people in their everyday life (provision, caring, health)
3. Buildings and apartments not suitable/comfortable for elderly people take negative impact on their quality of living
4. Communities face the challenge of “dying” centers – especially those which cannot provide attractive housing for a younger generation

The research focuses on showing the connections of these aspects. We will illustrate the main advantages of building age-conform housings in the center of the towns – for both, elderly people and the community.

On behalf of Lower Austria, mecca elaborates a study on which activities are undertaken in the Danube Region and how they should be adapted to present and future challenges. From Lower Austrias point of view, mecca…

• lays down priorities to be implemented within the frame of the EUSDR
• identifies organisations and institutions which impel implementing the strategy
• identifies themes and project ideas to be realised within the framework of the EUSDR and
• elaborates structural adjustments for optimal use of the EUSDR.

Hannes Schaffer gives lectures at Vienna University of Technology for students in the fields of regional development and spatial planning.

Focus is on the develpment of rural areas and energy planning. The lectures are supplemented by field trips.

Amerang is a village in Upper Bavaria. On behalf of the Ernst-Freiberger-Foundation, mecca develops a location development concept for the town. The aim of the concept is to position Amerang even more strongly as a sustainable, authentic and culturally interesting community which is attractive for its inhabitants and guests of the region and beyond.

mecca supports the government of Burgenland in developing a manual for modification of land use plans. The aim of the project is to  discuss frequently asked questions related to the process of rezoning in land use plans.  On the other hand,  standardising and enhancing transparency in this process is in demand.
The manual aims at the communities and planners responsible for local spatial planning, so they are actively involved in the elaboration.

Since 2012, Upper Austria is focussing on initiating and promoting intercommunal cooperation in the field of regional planning and spatial development. To ensure the best possible cost-benefit ratio, mecca evaluates the finalised projects and develops minimum requirements for future projects and cooperations. We evaluate the technical quality of intercommunal cooperation and their contribution to the aims of the federal state planning in Upper Austria. In addition, we look closely at the cooperations themselves and their processes.

A missing transport link over the river March hinders the integrated development of the region Weinviertel – Zahorie despite similar economic and spatial preconditions. However, after a negative referendum, the planned bridge connecting Angern an der March and Záhorská Ves will not be built. In this project, we developed an alternative concept to enhance cross-border mobility.

Countries: AT, SK

In December 2014, after one and a half year life time of the Marc Aurel Initiative for Health and Life Quality, mecca carried out a survey on the level of awareness concerning the initiative as well as on future topics in the LEADER region Römerland Carnuntum.

mecca supports the LEADER region Marchfeld in developing a strategy for 2014+. The participation process is locally organised by the LEADER office; professional inputs and the finalisation of the strategy are carried out by an external consultant team.

mecca supports the LEADER region Römerland Carnuntum in developing a strategy for 2014+. The participation process is locally organised by the LEADER office; professional inputs and the finalisation of the strategy are carried out by an external consultant team.

mecca supports the LEADER region Bucklige Welt-Wechselland in developing a strategy for 2014+. The participation process is locally organised by the LEADER office; professional inputs and the finalisation of the strategy are carried out by an external consultant team.

mecca supports the LEADER region Southern Lower Austria in developing a strategy for 2014+. The participation process is locally organised by the LEADER office; professional inputs and the finalisation of the strategy are carried out by an external consultant team.

mecca supports the positioning of the LEADER region Triestingtal as a “family-friendly region”.

On behalf of the Austrian conference on spatial planning (ÖROK), mecca and the Institute of Spation Planning, Vienna University of Technology, elaborate positions and milestones for a common Austrian agglomeration policy.

The result of this project is an orientation framework for decision makers and relevant stakeholders on how to support the establishment and further development of urban-regional cooperations.

Download of the german “Agenda”: Agenda Stadtregionen

project partner: Institute of Spation Planning (Vienna University of Technology, TU Wien)

The Weinviertel region is characterised by different generations living together. However, population structure will change significantly in the next few years. mecca supported the Weinviertel Ost in handling the challenges challenges of demographic change. The goal is to develop perspectives and to create a catalogue of measures for the economy and tourism.

mecca consulting and BHW-Projektverein support the region Römerland Carnuntum on its path to accessibility. The project is being implemented in close cooperation with the municipalities and tourist facilities of the region.

project partner: BHW-Projektverein

Expert opinion in the fields regional policy and material goods, recreations and overall apperance of the townscape and the landscape.

Within the upcoming six months a demography check will be conducted for the municipalities and companies in the LEADER region Bucklige Welt – Wechselland. The focus lies on a sector check for economy and tourism, which is a service for the regional companies and municipalities. They will recieve the results, showing how well the company is organised now and what measures and strategies are recommended for the future.

Pilot projects will be developed and conducted together with regional actors. An online survey assesses current problems and desires of regional companies.

project partner: conos Tourismusconsulting GmbH

The aim of this project is to entrench Ferlach (Carinthia) as a distinct centre for creativity, training and development through the setup of subject-specific networks and the establishment of a start-up initiative. The main objective is the generation and the preservation of jobs. Therefore, the following priorities are being set:

– Positioning the City of Ferlach as a centre for creativity and education in Carithia/Austria
– Unlocking potentials of the existing polytechnic (HTBLVA Ferlach), specialised companies and the citizens of Ferlach
– Positioning the City of Ferlach as a business location for HTBLVA graduates and company founders
– Setup and expansion of networks of existing companies in Ferlach, company founders and companies willing to settle

project partner: Institut für Zukunftskompetenzen

In the LEADER region Römerland-Carnuntum a demography check for the 27 municipalities and companies in the regions of Bruck an der Leitha and Wien-Umgebung was conducted. The focus for the region lies on the sector check for economy and tourism, a service aimed at regional companies. It shows how well the company is organised and what kind of measures and strategies are recommended in the future.

The region around Bratislava is characterised by a strong growth dynamic. Therefore, numerous initiatives to coordinate the development of Bratislava with that of the surrounding communities have been launched (COBRA, COBRA + TREE). Now the representatives of the Austrian municipalities and of the federal states of Lower Austria and Burgenland have agreed to elaborate a spatial development concept for the Austrian surroundings of Bratislava. The longterm goal is to coordinate their spatial development with the city of Bratislava. An urban study is to be elaborated, which incorporates an ongoing cooperation with the Austrian municipalities, among other things.

mecca applied itself together with RaumRegionMensch and dieLandschaftsplaner.at to the preparation of the spatial development concept for the 14 Austrian Municipalities.

Go to project website.

project partner: die Landschaftsplaner.at, RaumRegionMensch

The “SRO_peripher” database provides impulses for activities and instruments for active intervention in the regions. mecca analysed national and international examples (Focus Austria, Germany, Switzerland).These examples were located on a  “Map of Possibilities”, which is accessible under the following link: SRO_peripher Datenbank 
The database is permanently updated by mecca. At the moment there are more than 250 examples online.

The new Spatial Planning Strategy for Upper Austria is supposed to formulate the most important strategic goals and measures for spatial planning, in order to respond to current developments and their spatial consequences.

The most important characteristics of the updated Spatial Planning Strategy are:

• Brief and realisation-oriented regulation
• Link between the Upper Austrian law on spatial planning on the one hand and the realisation instruments on the other hand
• Special relevance for realisation through defined fields of action
• Linking of spatial planning, development planning and regional development
• Focus on issues that lie within the competence of spatial planning and regional development

project partner: stadtland, komobile

In the process of developing the Viennese Urban Development Plan (STEP 2025), mecca supported the working group „Clearing & Governance“ with process assistance and professional expertise.

The agglomeration perspective is one of five cross-cutting issues in the Urban Development Plan STEP 2015. In cooperation with stadtland, mecca worked on a position paper on urban-regional cooperation.  Relevant stakeholders in Vienna and the region and the Stadt-Umland-Management Vienna – Lower Austria (SUM) are involved in the process design. mecca and stadtland offer both operational and content-related services, mainly professional consulting and expertise.

project partner: stadtland

In the course of this expertise the following questions are covered:

• Basis and framework conditions for the cross-border UNESCO World Heritage Neusiedler See/Fertö
• World Heritage and wind parks – the European context
• History of development of the UNESCO World Heritage area and the resulting requirements and framework conditions for the use of wind power
• Assessing how far the federal state of Burgenland has dealt with the connection of the UNESCO World Heritage and the use of windpower to date

The “Regional Guiding Plan for Nordraum Wien” is supposed to ensure the coordinated spatial development along A5, S1 and A22. The project region belongs to the fastest-growing regions in Austria. In order to make the development of municipalities sustainable and efficient the plan was drafted by the municipalities and the federal state together.

The regional guiding plan was a novelty in Lower Austria. Under the main idea of “equal cooperation” a new approach for regional planning is developed. It is marked by an early, constructive and goal-oriented cooperation of municipalities, the region and the federal state. Regional goals, principles and measures of spatial development should be determined and realized through cooperative labour division and grouping of competences by municipalities and the federal state.

Project documentation (only in German available)

project partner: Institute of Spatial Planning – Research Unit Regional Planning and Regional Development (Vienna University of Technology, TU Wien)

The amendment plan for the Operational Programme (OP) Phasing Out Burgenland will contribute to an optimum impact in the upcoming years.
The approach of the revision is determined by article 48 of the Concil Regulation 1083/2006 on general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund: Reasons for revision, realisation difficulties and the expected impacts of the revision were explained in the amendment. The outcome was passed to the monitoring committee.

The amendment planned for the Operational Programme (OP) Phasing Out Burgenland will contribute to an optimum impact in the upcoming years.
The approach of the revision is determined by article 48 of the Concil Regulation 1083/2006 on general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund: Reasons for revision, realisation difficulties and the expected impacts of the revision were explained in the amendment. The outcome was passed to the monitoring committee.

The primary, secondary and special needs schools in southern Lower Austria led a pilot project on the subject, „What parents and grandparents should know about their children’s lives.“
Using a regional questionnaire, the schools sought to learn about parents’, grandparents’ and caregivers’ impressions about what their children do during a regular day and to identify problem areas where they felt they required more information. The schools then began to develop the initial specific implementation measures in the various areas identified by the parents (eg. Bullying, internet dangers, puberty, education and learning difficulties, drug consumption and addiction prevention).

BAUM coordinates spatial development within the urban fringe between the capital city of Bratislava and the bordering municipalities in Austria. the main topics of this project are the coordination of development plans (which usually end at the border), the discussion of controversial projects and a joint implementation of approved ideas.

Aims of this project are:

• the development of guidelines for spatial development in the border region
• the elaboration of an urban planning study for Bratislava considering the differing interests
• the establishment of a city-and-surroundings management for Bratislava

Countries: AT, SK

project partner: Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien)

The Austrian Conference on Spatial Planning’s (ÖROK) population forecasts display clearly that all regions are facing inevitable changes that must be adapted to. In these forecasts, the growth in the number of aging people combined with a decline of the youth plays a major role. Communities must quickly adjust to this and begin to consider how they will adapt their infrastructure. Regions that find ways to engage the aging part of the population in the community stand to benefit from the financial stability that the elderly have achieved through their retirement pensions.
This project concentrates on all of the eastern regions that have been left behind by the the development of dynamic agglomerations and are now characterized by their steady or predicted exodus of people and workers. These developing trends, as well as declining municipal budgets, require specific actions on the part of the communities and their regional political bodies.

Hannes Schaffer gave lectures on project management in environmental projects for students of the mastercourse “Environmental Technology & International Affairs”.

Students get an introduction to:

• Project management and controlling
• Project management tools
• International approach to environmental projects
• Communication in international projects

Some of the main topics of the online survey conducted within the frame of the development of a Regional Framework Concept for Dunkelsteinerwald are: Satisfaction with communal services, important issues for the population, future challenges and knolwedge in the region. The results and recommendations for action were considered in the concept and are incorporated in the goals of future communal cooperations.

project website: link

mecca supported the Government of Carinthia in the creation of the Regional Energy Concept for Upper Carinthia.  The goal is to use spatial planning to lay the groundwork for addressing critical questions facing Carinthia’s energy future. This should provide the basis for energy security through increasing the energy independence of Carinthia while at the same time improving the value added aspect by focusing on regional power generation. As results are gathered, they are to be used to develop a detailed energy concept in cooperation with the municipalities and key stakeholders.

In the course of the annual LEADER region evaluation mecca supported the LEADER management. An extensive questionnaire for different target groups led to interesting results for future LEADER work.

The development process for the municipalities of the micro region Dunkelsteinerwald includes a joint vision of the measures that need to be taken in order to achieve the following goals:

• Intensify both the communication and cooperation across municipal borders, giving a clear definition and identity to the micro region ‘Dunkelsteinerwald’
• Generate wider interest in the continuation of cooperative work in planning and executing projects
• Implement concrete projects that improve the visibility of the positive effects of cooperative action

project partner: im-plan-tat

According to the strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, an EU strategy for the Danube Region should be prepared by the end of 2010. Therefore, Austria is about to prepare a common statement including papers from the state goverments.

mecca supports Lower Austria in identifying relevant topics and preparing arguments for Lower Austria to take on a leadership role in coordinating further development of the Danube Region Strategy.

The bicycle rental system “nextbike” functions as a link between individual and public transportation. Nextbike offers everyone without access to their own bicycle the opportunity to travel short distances within the city quickly and comfortably. In addressing traffic issues, the combination of nextbike with public transit options is a sensible approach. The bicycles do not have to be brought back to the starting point but can be dropped at any bike station in the city. Rather than cost-intensive high tech solutions, nextbike offers a simple and affordable rent-a-bike system. nextbike has already installed a successful network of return stations in more than 20 cities in Austria, Germany and New Zealand. The feasibility study analysed the requirements for setting up a nextbike network in the city of Sopron.

The aim of the feasibility study is to point out, under which circumstances it is possible to establish this type of public bike sharing system in Sopron.

Based on the network of hiking trails in the micro region of Wolkersdorf , which was prepared by mecca in 2008, a google map was drafted as a flexible PR instrument. The map shows trails and additional information concerning attractions along these trails. Standard map features like zooming or the printing of sections are available.

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

project partner: Bildungs- und Heimatwerk Niederösterreich (Adult Education Lower Austria)

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

Project website: link

The Lower Austrian Spatial Planning Act (NÖ ROG) regulates procedures and thematic issues for spatial planning on a local and regional scale. It has been amended several times since it came into force in 1976 in order to meet the ongoing changes in spatial needs. Even nowadays Lower Austria has to react to this process of change. This evaluation identifies issues with high need for action from a supra-regional perspective and gives recommendations for a revised Spatial Planning Act.

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

project partner: Bildungs- und Heimatwerk Niederösterreich (Adult Education Lower Austria)

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

Project website: www.leader-noe-sued.at/

project partner: Bildungs- und Heimatwerk Niederösterreich (Adult Education Lower Austria)

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

project partner: Bildungs- und Heimatwerk Niederösterreich (Adult Education Lower Austria)

In the micro region of Wolkersdorf (nine municipalities) single hiking paths already existed. The ‘Hiking Path Network Wolkerdorf’ completes a network of trails totaling 90km in length and including both circular and inter-connected routes. After careful and detailed research, all the distances, attractions and accompanying signage were also prepared by mecca. Funding aspects, the central theme, as well as possible additional outputs (hiking maps, information boards for municipalities) were discussed in several workshops.

As a part of a pan-regional effort to develop a master plan for urban development, mecca drafted a set of planning atlases for the city of Santana in the Romanian Banat region. The atlases display Santana’s current situation based on large scale measures of European standards at both a local and a regional level. It also displays the current and future opportunities for Santana’s development. The collection was prepared in English and Romanian.

As part of the preliminary proceedings of the environmental impact assessment S3 Weinviertler Schnellstraße Hollabrunn Süd – Guntersdorf an expert assessment was provided on the topics of landscape, leisure and recreation as well as people, communities and businesses.

Module 3 of the new ‘Settlement Development Concept “East”‘ provide innovative strategies for overcoming unwanted spatial phenomena such as urban sprawl and the practice of land banking. mecca developed new tools for spatial planning in cooperation with key stakeholders as existing tools proved to be ineffective in managing the contemporary issues. Therefore, mecca developed a new set of tools capable of being adapted to the differentiation in strategy, resource management and policy demands of the various regions.

The focus lays on:
–   Land policy
–   Regional master planning
–   Cooperation in sectorial planning using the example of energy

The roadshow offers information on available funds for SME within Burgenland with the focus being on the Phasing Out-Programme (objective 1 follow-up). In four events (opinion leaders, tourism, enterprises & innovation) the different funding agencies were presented and discussions were moderated to help clarify the remaining issues. Target groups of the project were: regional small and medium sized enterprises, banks, tax consultants, politicians and the press.

project partner: ÖAR Regional Consulting

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Weinviertel Ost Region were prepared for the LEADER period of 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling all of the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

project partner: DI Richard Resch

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Lafnitztal Region were prepared for the LEADER period of 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

project partner: Projektberatung Schlögl

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Auland Carnuntum Region were prepared for the LEADER period of 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling all of the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Marchfeld Region were prepared for the LEADER period 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Triestingtal Region were prepared for the LEADER period of 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling all of the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

The municipality of Suhareka, Kosovo decided to revitalise its policy framework for development and growth. Therefore, a new Municipal Development Plan was drafted in parallel with the Urban Development Plan based on GIS for the first time. Additionally the administrative staff was trained to work with the data in the future.

Download: Suhareka Environment for the future.

project partner: Research Unit for Regional Planning and Regional Development (Institute of Spatial Planning, Vienna University of Technology), im-plan-tat, studio urban+, City of Pristina