Mobility study Hochschwabsiedlung

The Hochschwab housing estate in Kapfenberg is one of the oldest and largest intact workers’ housing estates in Austria. As part of the planned housing redevelopment, in-depth preliminary studies were commissioned on the topics of mobility and open space. This resulted in an integrated consideration of these two aspects, the starting point for an incremental urban development transformation of the Hochschwab estate.

The result of the study was a residential location-related transport and mobility concept with extended facilities for cycling and walking. The focus was on good connections to the overarching active mobility networks and the exploration of potential traffic calming and design measures in the neighbourhood.

This was accompanied by recommendations for new routes, such as a direct connection to the railway station as well as to central supply facilities, a potential railway subway and parent stops at the school and kindergarten.

The car parking spaces scattered around the open spaces and streets were accommodated in new structured collective car parks on the edge of the estate. This made it possible to upgrade the green open spaces in the centre of the estate and return them to new collective uses and recreation. This improved residents’ access to high-quality public and private open spaces. The integrated consideration of mobility needs and sustainable open space design led to green and street spaces with new open space qualities in the area – the basic prerequisite for a successful revitalisation of the estate.

Year: 2023

Partners: ARGE Carlos Gomez and Peter Pretterhofer Architects; zwoPK Landschaftsarchitektur

Client: Municipality of Kapfenberg, Gemysag, Regionalmanagement Obersteiermark Ost, Province of Styria