A new quarter called “Obere Hausfeld” is being developed on 26 hectares of land in Vienna-Donaustadt. Located slightly west of Seestadt Aspern and directly connected to the U2 subway line, this district aims to be “urban and car-free,” with 3,600 apartments to be built. The residential buildings are arranged around a central park to promote easy accessibility on foot.
However, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project area revealed that 80% of the district could be developed and inhabited, but the remaining 20% was contingent on the construction of adjacent roads and highways, specifically the S1-Spange, S1-Nord, and Lobautunnel. This led to criticism from environmental organizations like VIRUS and citizens’ initiatives who argued that housing construction is being used as a means to push forward road construction projects.
Despite existing infrastructure serving the new district well, construction has been stalled due to settlement restrictions. In response, VIRUS, developer Kallco, and citizens’ initiative BNWN have jointly submitted an amendment to the EIA for urban development projects in Oberes Hausfeld in hopes of modifying the settlement conditions. The development of this new quarter remains a point of contention between stakeholders as they work towards a resolution that balances housing needs with environmental considerations.
