Robert Korab

Cities are complex ecospheres, combining great diversity and high efficiency with high density of environmental loads and strong restrictions to life. Nevertheless we have to keep the advantages and diminish the loads to generate a rich pattern of diverse urban habitats that satisfy different needs and lifestyles. This could be a vision for Biotope City.

To fulfil this goal we have to change the attitude of urban planning and urban policies. Structural improvements and empowerment of the key actors to do their every day life business in a more sustainable way are prior to classical regulatory politics. Actors and driving forces of urban development have to learn and improve by themselves. Principle goal is to increase welfare and living chances in the urban habitat for all of its inhabitants.

The housing sector can be seen as the ‘body’ of Biotope City, since it forms the habitat of the main and most impressive biological population – the human population. It has far reaching ecological, economical and social impacts on the constitution of Biotope City.

The City of Vienna historically adopted housing as a main field of urban politics. In 1995, Vienna started a new policy, considerably improving the planning and ecological qualities in urban housing construction, but avoiding higher production costs and rents.. The means for achieving this: Quality competitions for property developers seeking public subsidies, with strong integration of sustainability aspects.

The competition model has given an in-depth impulse to Viennas housing sector, facilitating modernization and innovation and boosting structural changes both at local and regional level. Following that way house-building and housing are well prepared to make their future contributions to Biotope City.