viennese areas of transformation
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ocations referred to as brownfield sites are growing in importance in Austria. Structural changes in business, production, and logistics have led to locations across the nation losing their original purpose. These include industrial and commercial zones in urban and peripheral locations that have already been developed but are now disused. These areas are generally an eyesore, but they do offer potential for reuse or repurposing. Increasing pressure on land resources and Austria’s ranks amongst those European countries with especially high land use add to the issue.
veloped green spaces. Policy initiatives such as the Austrian soil strategy and regional funding programmes at federal state level increasingly rely on reuse of derelict areas as an alternative to development reclassification.
Brownfield sites: Rethinking housing and shaping the city of the future
Brownfield sites show how exis- ting land can unlock new social and ecological potential with forward-looking planning, co- operation, and innovation.
Former Siemens site
Vienna is a rapidly growing city and faces the challenge of creating additional space for liv- ing, working, and infrastructure – ideally, with- out sealing green and open spaces. Brownfield sites provide considerable opportunities here; their reutilisation supports more sustainable spatial planning while also preserving unde-
A new neighbourhood with new apartments, parks, schools, and everything that a city needs has been emerging on the former Nordbahnhof railway station site in the Second District for years.
Brownfield sites are former industrial, commercial, or traffic areas that underwent intensive use and now see little use or are completely abandoned. These areas are regarded as the most important spatial reserve for sustainable urban development, as they have already been developed once before and can be revitalised without having to use additional land.
Former Leopoldau gasworks site
FIRST VIENNA RESIDENTIAL MARKET REPORT 2026
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