Research questions

Vibrant Vienna investigates the role of residential streets (Wohnstraßen) as everyday public spaces in Vienna. Through stakeholder interviews and conversations with residents, the project examines how these streets are used, perceived, and negotiated between different users and interests. It identifies factors that encourage or hinder vibrant use, explores conflicts, local needs, and assesses opportunities for future street design. The findings provide valuable insights for urban planning by highlighting the importance of communication and local acceptance in creating successful, inclusive, and well-used public spaces.

Methods/Research Design

The study combines stakeholder interviews with Living Labs. Interviews with city authorities, planners, district representatives, and community organizations provide insights into planning processes, institutional perspectives, and experiences with residential streets. Three Living Labs use urban ethnographic methods—including participant observation, workshops, go-along interviews, and creative interventions—to explore everyday use, conflicts, and negotiation processes with residents and local actors. Together, these methods create an iterative process in which interview findings inform real-world experiments, while Living Lab outcomes generate practical insights for future planning and decision-making.

Results/Dissemination

Project findings will be shared through academic publications, presentations, workshops with stakeholders, and public events. Policy recommendations will support the City of Vienna in designing inclusive residential streets. The project will provide insights into the question, what residential streets need to be used by residents as areas of leisure, furthermore it will strengthen dialogue between institutions and communities.