International Superblock Meeting, Vienna 2024
Urban Actors & Actions: Transition in Practice

The research project TuneOurBlock has been exploring the potential and challenges of the Superblocks concept for nearly three years. After two successful conferences in Barcelona and Berlin, the project consortium hosted an event in Vienna on April 29-30, 2024, to ensure the project’s lasting contribution to urban sustainability transformations.

While the program for the International Superblock Meeting (ISM) in Vienna included results and insights from the TuneOurBlock project, it focused on the work of urban changemakers across Europe. The event brought urban actors from the public, private, and civic sectors together to learn from each other and strengthen support networks.

Program and Documentation

Monday, 29 April

PEER GROUP MEETING
ISM Updates

For the morning session, we asked participants to prepare a brief introduction presentation of no more than five minutes answering two questions:

1. What is the current project that keeps you busy? Where do you feel that your city has made significant progress? What are the key learnings you want to share from this project?
2. What are the questions you have for other participants in the International Superblock Meeting in Vienna? What specifically do you want to discuss? What do you want to learn more about?

View selected presentations from this session:

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PEER GROUP MEETING
Visit to Urban Renewal Offices (GB*)

In the late morning participants visited one of Vienna’s Urban Renewal Offices (Gebietsbetreuungen Stadterneuerung, GB) located adjacent to Vienna’s Superblock pilot project site, whereGB is a project partner.

“GB* matches persons or entities in a specific district who want to activate unused space with the owners of potential activation sites. The focus is on the involvement of local residents in the improvement of the quality of life in a district.“

(Source and more info at: https://socialhousing.wien/organizations/urban-renewal-offices-gb)

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EXCURSIONS
Supergrätzl Favoriten, Vienna’s first Superblock project

Tour 1: A pilot project for Vienna – From strategy to built implementation
Guided by: Felizitas Dörfel (Department of Architecture and Urban Design, City of Vienna), Valentin Gebhardt (Department of Urban Development and Planning, City of Vienna)

Tour 2: Adaptive urbanism for rapid change – Measures of the pilot phase
Guided by: Georg Wieser (studio LAUT) & Daniel Huppmann (Supergrätzl resident)

Tour 3: Participation and civic engagement in Vienna’s first Superblock
Guided by: Florian Lorenz (studio LAUT), Carla Schwaderer (TU Vienna / studio LAUT), Hans Emrich (Agenda Favoriten & Emrich Consulting)

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PLENARY SESSION
“From vision to action: How Superblocks and similar concepts transform cities across Europe”

Location: Austrian Ministry of Climate Protection (BMK), Festsaal @ Radetzkystraße 2, 1030 Wien

This plenary session hosted in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) featured talks, an expert panel discussion, and an audience Q&A session. Speakers addressed the need for urban transformation, the incredible potential of Cities of Superblocks, and the challenges of implementing large-scale urban change. Most importantly, they shared experiences of transformation in action and advice on how challenges can be overcome.

Speakers:

• Wiebke Unbehaun – Head of Department Active Mobility and Mobility Management, Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK)
• Ariadna Miquel Amengual – Director of Urban Strategy, City of Barcelona
• Clyde Loakes – Deputy Council Leader, London Borough of Waltham Forest
• José Besselink – Senior Urban Planner, City of Rotterdam
• Lukas Franta – Senior Project Manager, Dept. of Urban Development and Planning, City of Vienna
• Valentina Haas & Immo Janssen – Changing Cities e.v., Berlin
• Wim Schuddinck – Mobility Company, City of Ghent

Moderation:
Florian Lorenz – TuneOurBlock consortium & LAUT – landscape architecture and urban transformation

View selected presentations from this session:

Watch the recorded Plenary Session on YouTube:

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Tuesday, 30 April

NETWORKING AND EXCHANGE SESSIONS
“People of Superblocks”

Location: Vienna University of Technology, PRECHTLSAAL @ Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien

This session brought together experts from the TuneOurBlock Peer Group, municipal staff, academic researchers, civil society representatives and urban practitioners. Participants met and discussed around an array of themed tables for a total of four sessions.

While table hosts provided thematic structure for the session and shared their knowledge, the flow of information was multi-directional. The networking and exchange sessions were held in a discussion-oriented format, providing ample opportunity for all participants to contribute. The aim was to strengthen a growing network of urban actors and foster spontaneous collaboration.

Documentation available here soon!

Participating experts (amongst others):

• Anna Sokolowska – City Advisor, Net Zero Cities for Climate Neutrality
• Ariadna Miquel Amengual – Director of Urban Strategy, City of Barcelona
• Chiel van den Camp – Car network policy advisor & parking space manager, City of Amsterdam
• Clyde Loakes – Deputy Council Leader, London Borough of Waltham Forest
• Gosia Marczewska – Łodz Municipal Planning Office, PLAN ZERO
• José Besselink – Senior Urban Planner, City of Rotterdam
• Laetitia Butler – Development Coordinator, Places for Everyone, Sustrans Scotland
• Luuk van Kessel – Principal Transport Planner, London Borough of Lambeth
• Merlin Pitz – Department of Mobility, Transportation, Climate Protection and the Environment, State Government of Berlin
• Neda Kostandinovic – International Projects, Office of the Chief Architect, City of Barcelona
• Valentin Gebhardt – Department of Urban Development and Planning, City of Vienna
• Vivian Monteiro Malta – Green and Thriving Neighborhoods Project Officer, C40 Cities
• Wim Schuddinck – Mobility Company, City of Ghent

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SOCIAL DINNER & INFORMAL CONCLUSIONS

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The International Superblock Meeting 2024 is supported by:

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Organisation Team of the International Superblock Meeting 2024 is comprised of members from the TuneOurBlock project consortium:

Valentin GEBHARDT (Department of Urban Development and Planning, City of Vienna), Joshua GRIGSBY (Smarter Than Car), Ulrich LETH (TU Wien), Florian LORENZ (LAUT – landscape architecture and urban transformation), Viktoria SANDOR (Austrian Institute of Technology – AIT), Francesco REMONATO (Smarter Than Car), Georg WIESER (LAUT – landscape architecture and urban transformation)

Facilitating and participating experts from the TuneOurBlock consortium:

Uta BAUER (German Institute of Urban Affairs DIFU), Sonja BETTGE (Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Center Potsdam), Valentina HAAS (Changing Cities e.V.), Immo JANSSEN (Changing Cities e.V.), Helmut LEMMERER (TU Wien), Nicolina KIRBY (Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Center Potsdam), Lisa RUHRORT (German Institute of Urban Affairs DIFU), Jernej TIRAN (Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts)