Transforming Spaces

What do we do with the many sealed surfaces in the peri-urban and urban context on which we have so far only parked our vehicles? Areas that are often overlooked in planning.

Instead of just contributing to the overheating of cities, shouldn't these areas make a more valuable contribution as multifunctional open spaces? Couldn't they be designed in such a way that changing mobility requirements, renewable energy generation and a growing need for nature, leisure and recreation are taken into account? Is the use of car parks still appropriate in times of the mobility transition? How can a future-oriented transformation of these spaces be designed so that they keep pace with changing requirements? Are all car parks the same, or do they offer different potential for implementing holistic concepts such as renewable energy production, biodiversity promotion and social open spaces?

We will address these and other questions in this course using the example of the city of Krems (Lower Austria).

The aim is to combine ecological, social and energy requirements and to develop innovative designs that aim to harvest these ‘low hanging fruits’. Architecture and spatial planning can and should contribute to the sustainable utilisation of these valuable urban open spaces.We will therefore develop integrated architectural, landscape architectural and spatial planning concepts for the strategic transformation of the existing stock of these previously neglected but relevant areas.

There are some interesting examples of good practice in Europe in this regard, which we will look at and draw inspiration from during another excursion to Paris and the surrounding area from 28 April to 1 May.Back in Krems, we will use selected case studies to develop visions of transformation, which will be presented to the community and the public at the end of the course.

The course is organised in cooperation with the land.mobil:LAB mobility laboratory for rural areas.