Redesign of Vienna's Franz-Jonas-Platz: Start of Citizen Participation
Residents are invited to submit their wishes and ideas for the redesign of this central square in their district by mid-May, to give Franz-Jonas-Platz a facelift together. Currently, the square does not meet today's standards of a climate-friendly place. In summer, the concrete and asphalt construction turns it into a heat island, and with the aging station roofs, Franz-Jonas-Platz is not exactly inviting for lingering. In the future, Franz-Jonas-Platz, like Praterstern for example, should become a pleasant place through greening and design measures.
Redesign of Vienna's Franz-Jonas-Platz: Workshops Planned as First Step
The first step of the participation process includes workshops with local business people, schools, educational institutions, and cultural initiatives with the aim of enhancing the square, which is frequented by tens of thousands of commuters daily.
"We are redesigning squares throughout the city under the motto 'Out of the Asphalt', making public spaces more attractive and safer. Now we are taking on Franz-Jonas-Platz for a comprehensive facelift in several stages. Unsealing, greening, and cooling are our top three measures to turn concrete squares into climate-friendly green oases. Franz-Jonas-Platz and Floridsdorf station are the most important transport hubs north of the Danube. We must continue to ensure the functionality of this heavily frequented place, and additionally, we want to create a pleasant place to stay with the redesign," said Planning Councillor Ulli Sima. Similar to Praterstern, a variety of measures will be taken to enhance the square. As a reminder: An alcohol ban was already imposed at Praterstern in 2018, followed by a redesign of the square, doubling the green spaces and the number of trees.
Multi-Stage Participation Process in Vienna
The participation process starts today on 12.02.2025 with an online survey on the "Wien-mitgestalten" platform. On March 13, 2025, a public event will follow at the House of Encounter in Floridsdorf. Furthermore, citizen surveys by mail are planned. Additionally, interested parties can visit an idea market stand on-site after the Easter market and stick their ideas and wishes on a 3x3 meter aerial photo carpet with Post-its. These results will also be included in the planning process and considered for the redesign.
"For years, I have been actively setting climate-friendly accents through asphalt breakups and targeted greening in the densely built district center around Floridsdorf station. Franz-Jonas-Platz, as it still presents itself today, is a relic of its time. Its redesign opens up opportunities for us to move beyond the small-scale and think big. Therefore, it is important to me to invite residents and users to participate in the planning process. Together, we want to find out what Franz-Jonas-Platz of the future needs and how it can contribute to the high quality of life in Floridsdorf. I already thank everyone who will constructively contribute here!" said Floridsdorf District Chairman Georg Papai.
Together with the expansion and renovation of public transport on-site, the redesign will take place in the coming legislative period.
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This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.