Potential and limitations of innovative housing solutions in planning for degrowth: the case of Vienna

publishedVersio

Housing Vienna: The Socio-Spatial Effects of Inclusionary and Exclusionary Mechanisms of Housing Provision

The provision of housing plays a decisive role in segregation processes. In a European context increasingly influenced by variegated neo-liberal housing policies, Vienna’s approach is characterised by generous access to social housing. This inclusive strategy aims at actively preventing segregation and the isolation of certain groups. Over the last 30 years, however, reconfigured multi-level arrangements and wider contextual changes have transformed Vienna’s housing governance. This article explores how. In particular, it aims at disentangling the relationship between housing policy reforms at multiple policy levels and the changes of the mechanisms shaping the access to tenure segments and residential segregation in Vienna. Through the use of process tracing, we identify critical junctures of housing governance and relate them to housing segmentation and segregation measures over a period of approximately 30 years. Our findings show that reforms on multiple levels produce an increasingly deregulated private rental market and an increasingly fragmented access to a diversified provision of social housing. From a spatial point of view, persistent patterns of segregation blend with new ones, leading to decreasing segregation characterised by a more even spatial distribution of low and high-status groups. At the same time, both groups show very low, but slightly increased levels of isolation. Tenant profiles in social housing are, however, generally still very mixed. Balancing the trade-off between a social mix and social targeting without excluding residents in need will remain the main challenge for Vienna’s social housing model

Environmental quality for everyone? Socio-structural inequalities in mobility, access to green spaces and air quality

publishedVersio

Green Gentrification, Social Justice, and Climate Change in the Literature: Conceptual Origins and Future Directions

While global urban development is increasingly oriented towards strategies to facilitate green urbanism, potential community trade-offs are largely overlooked. This article presents the findings of a quantitative and qualitative meta-analysis of the current literature on green gentrification (the process leading the implementation of an environmental planning agenda displacing or excluding the most economically vulnerable population) in connection with climate change adaptation and mitigation across the globe. Based on specific keywords, we selected the recorded entry of 212 articles from Scopus covering the period 1977–2021. Our review focused on the historical and geographical development of the literature on urban greening and gentrification. The analysis shows that the concept of green gentrification has strong roots within the environmental justice debate in the US. In terms of intervention, most studies focused on urban parks and trees and were primarily oriented towards restoration. However, debates around the role of green facades, green roofs, or blue infrastructure (such as ponds and rivers) and other nature-based solutions as a driver for green gentrification are few and far between. Finally, we also identified a strong gap between the observation of green gentrification and potential countermeasures that respond to it. Most studies suggest that the existence of a stronger collaborative planning process within the affected communities may overcome the challenge of green gentrification. Based on our results, we identify several gaps and new research directions to design a green and just city

How Context Matters: Challenges of Localizing Participatory Budgeting for Climate Change Adaptation in Vienna

Participatory budgeting originally aimed to promote greater political representation and resource distribution for vulnerable populations. As it globally circulates, however, existing literature points out that its local interpretations and implementations often fall short of proper tools and mechanisms to advance its emancipatory potential. So far, the roles of different actors, objectives, and toolkits that contribute to diverging local experiences and outcomes have been widely studied. In contrast, extant research has rarely addressed the implications of different spatial contexts and their challenges—and the implicit potential—considering the distinctive institutional arrangements and opportunity structures at the urban scale. This article investigates how the policy idea of participatory budgeting landed in Vienna at the district level in 2017 (Partizipatives BürgerInnen-Budget), its outcomes, and how it evolved into a city-level project for climate change adaptation (Wiener Klimateam). It explores how the local institutional and structural conditions—including the political backing for such initiatives—influence the motivations, expectations, and experiences among different governmental stakeholders at multiple governance levels, shaping place-specific outcomes of participatory budgeting. It unpacks the specific opportunities and constraints of the deployed participatory tools in budgeting processes, according to three core values of democratic governance (legitimacy, justice, and effectiveness). The conclusion discusses the potential trade-offs between these three dimensions and argues that the current form of participatory budgeting in Vienna may increase legitimacy in the process but have less of an impact on the effectiveness of the delivery and the empowerment of vulnerable populations in the outcome

Wohnstandorte der Studierenden der Universität Wien

Die vorliegende Diplomarbeit befasst sich mit einer empirischen Untersuchung der Verteilung von Wohnstandorten von Studierenden der Universität Wien, sowie deren Einbettung in den sozialräumlichen Kontext der Stadt Wien. Ausgangspunkt der Arbeit bildet das theoretische Konzept „Studentification“, welches hohe studentische Konzentrationen in städtischen Quartieren und damit verbundene Auswirkungen beschreibt. In einem übergeordneten Trend ist eine deutliche Konzentration der Wohnorte auf die westlichen inneren Bezirke 6, 7, 8 und 9 der Stadt Wien festzustellen. Wobei das empirische Wohnmuster von Studierenden der Universität Wien in einem großen Ausmaß von einer guten Erreichbarkeit des Studienplatzes sowie Studierendenheimen determiniert ist. Detaillierte Betrachtungen auf Ebene von Zählbezirken bzw. der verorteten Standorte selbst, zeigen jedoch Variationen der Konzentration innerhalb der Bezirke. Mit Hilfe einer räumlichen Clusteranalyse der Standorte konnten fünf signifikante Wohnstandortkonzentrationen identifiziert werden, welche sich im nordwestlichen Teil des 9. Bezirks, an der Grenze des 7. und 8. Bezirks, im 4. Bezirk nahe dem Freihausviertel, im 2. Bezirk nahe dem Karmeliterviertel und an der Grenze zwischen 5. und 6. Bezirk befinden. Die Betrachtung des sozialräumlichen Kontexts zeigt einen räumlichen Zusammenhang der Wohnstandorte von Studierenden mit Gebieten, die einen hohen Anteil an Hochschulabsolventen aufweisen. Weiters besteht ein Zusammenhang der Wohnstandorte von Studierenden und Aufwertungsgebieten in Wien. Eine explizite Ausrichtung der Einzelhandels- und Gastronomiebetriebe auf Wohnstandorte von Studierenden konnte jedoch nur in sehr geringem Ausmaß beobachtet werden.This diploma thesis deals with an empirical analysis of the spatial distribution of residential locations of students of the University of Vienna and their integration in the socio-spatial context of the City of Vienna. The concept "Studentification" (Smith 2005), which describes high concentrations of students in urban neighborhoods and its associated impacts, is the theoretical basis of this thesis. As a general trend a significant concentration of residences in the Western inner districts 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the City of Vienna can be observed. Students’ residential locations are largely determined by good levels of accessibility of the university area and student dormitories. However, detailed examinations at the level of small census tracts and residential location sites, show variations in concentration within the districts. A spatial cluster analysis of these sites identified five significant agglomerations, which are located in the Northwestern part of the 9th district, at the border of the 7th and 8th district, in the 4th district near the “Freihausviertel”, in the 2nd district near the “Karmeliterviertel” and at the border between the 5th and 6th district. Considering the socio-spatial context exhibits a spatial relationship between the residential locations of students and areas holding a high proportion of graduates. Furthermore, there is a significant relationship between students’ residential locations and Viennese gentrification areas. However, explicit accumulations of student-oriented retail and gastronomy businesses in residential areas of students could be observed only to a very small extent

Measuring Political Commitment in Statistical Models for Evidence-based Agenda Setting in Nonmotorized Traffic

When investigating national and international transport policies of the last decade, an ever increasing emphasis on promoting non-motorized transport modes such as walking or cycling can be identified, aiming at reaching multiple political targets (eg. reducing pollution, increasing health or lowering land consumption). However, despite substantial financial efforts being put into infrastructural or awarenessraising activities, achieving the desired modal shift towards active mobility remains a challenge. This is frequently due to unclear cause and effect patterns between active mode shares and their determinants, which in turn leads to uncoordinated or highly fragmented initiatives that impede target-oriented planning. An internationally adopted approach to overcome this problem is applying aggregated statistical models that explain modal choice involving multiple regression techniques and hypothetical covariates. Still, general critique against these models points out that important intangible soft factors such as attitudinal characteristics of the local population or mind-sets and political commitment of decision makers are not duly reflected. Also, for Austria there is currently no systematic holistic approach to explain spatial variance in active travel shares on the scale of municipalities. Hence the main objective of our research is to design a comprehensive macroscopic model-based approach for the quantitative explanation of modal split shares in active travel modes in Austria. In our approach we attach great importance to the inclusion of soft factors in order to contribute novel findings on the dynamics behind active travel. The research outcomes will aid decision makers and planners in their question where and more specifically, how to effectively invest into active mobility by revealing key soft factors and intangible determinants of active travel mode shares alongside a broad range of more known, traditional factors. Based on this evidence-based decision support approach it is possible to simulate impacts of actions when aiming at locally promoting active travel modes

Arteriolar vasoconstrictive response: comparing the effects of arginine vasopressin and norepinephrine

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to examine differences in the arteriolar vasoconstrictive response between arginine vasopressin (AVP) and norepinephrine (NE) on the microcirculatory level in the hamster window chamber model in unanesthetized, normotonic hamsters using intravital microscopy. It is known from patients with advanced vasodilatory shock that AVP exerts strong additional vasoconstriction when incremental dosage increases of NE have no further effect on mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). METHODS: In a prospective controlled experimental study, eleven awake, male golden Syrian hamsters were instrumented with a viewing window inserted into the dorsal skinfold. NE (2 μg/kg/minute) and AVP (0.0001 IU/kg/minute, equivalent to 4 IU/h in a 70 kg patient) were continuously infused to achieve a similar increase in MAP. According to their position within the arteriolar network, arterioles were grouped into five types: A0 (branch off small artery) to A4 (branch off A3 arteriole). RESULTS: Reduction of arteriolar diameter (NE, -31 ± 12% versus AVP, -49 ± 7%; p = 0.002), cross sectional area (NE, -49 ± 17% versus AVP, -73 ± 7%; p = 0.002), and arteriolar blood flow (NE, -62 ± 13% versus AVP, -80 ± 6%; p = 0.004) in A0 arterioles was significantly more pronounced in AVP animals. There was no difference in red blood cell velocities in A0 arterioles between groups. The reduction of diameter, cross sectional area, red blood cell velocity, and arteriolar blood flow in A1 to A4 arterioles was comparable in AVP and NE animals. CONCLUSION: Within the microvascular network, AVP exerted significantly stronger vasoconstriction on large A0 arterioles than NE under physiological conditions. This observation may partly explain why AVP is such a potent vasopressor hormone and can increase systemic vascular resistance even in advanced vasodilatory shock unresponsive to increases in standard catecholamine therapy

Inequalities in residential nature and nature-based recreation are not universal: A country-level analysis in Austria

This is the final version. Available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record. Evidence suggests that residential nature, e.g., greenness around the home, and nature-based recreation, e.g., visits to specific natural locations, are beneficial for health and well-being. However, several studies report that residential access is lower among socio-economically disadvantaged communities, potentially exacerbating health inequalities. We explored this issue in Austria, a relatively rural and mountainous country that also contains several cities, including the capital Vienna with around 2 million citizens. Data were drawn from a representative survey of the adult population across all nine Austrian regions (N = 2258) and explored sociodemographic predictors of residential green and blue space (using satellite data on surrounding greenness and distance to rivers and lakes), and visit frequencies to 12 different urban and rural green/blue environments. In contrast to most findings elsewhere, which usually focus on relatively specific locations (e.g., cities), we found little evidence of socio-economic inequalities in residential green/blue space at the whole country level. Further, although frequent visits to specific environments were less likely among, e.g., people with lower vs. higher education, other typically disadvantaged groups, e.g., those self-identifying as belonging vs. not belonging to an ethnic minority, reported more visits to e.g., urban parks and rivers. Findings suggest that inequalities in nature exposure may not be universal when considered at a country level.European Union’s Horizon 2020Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF

Antifactor Xa activity in critically ill patients receiving antithrombotic prophylaxis with standard dosages of certoparin: a prospective, clinical study

INTRODUCTION: Deep venous thrombosis with subsequent pulmonary embolism or post-thrombotic syndrome is a feared complication in the intensive care unit. Therefore, routine prophylactic anticoagulation is widely recommended. Aside from unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparins, such as certoparin, have become increasingly used for prophylactic anticoagulation in critically ill patients. In this prospective study, we evaluated the potency of 3,000 IU certoparin administered once daily to reach antithrombotic antifactor Xa (aFXa) levels of 0.1 to 0.3 IU/ml in 62 critically ill patients. METHODS: AFXa levels were determined 4, 12 and 24 h after injection of certoparin. Prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, antithrombin, fibrinogen, hemoglobin, platelet count, serum urea and creatinine concentrations were documented before and 12 and 24 h after injection of certoparin. RESULTS: Four hours after certoparin injection (n = 32), 28% of patients were within the antithrombotic aFXa range. After 12 and 24 h, 6% achieved antithrombotic aFXa levels. Because of a severe pulmonary embolism in one study patient, an interim analysis was performed, and the dosage of certoparin was increased to 3,000 IU twice daily. This regime attained recommended antithrombotic aFXa levels in 47%, 27%, 40% and 30% of patients at 4, 12, 16 and 24 h, respectively, after twice daily certoparin injection (n = 30). Antithrombin and fibrinogen concentrations slightly increased during the observation period. Low antithrombin concentrations before certoparin were independently correlated with underdosing of certoparin. Patients with aFXa levels <0.1 IU/ml 4 h after certoparin injection required vasopressors more often and had lower serum concentrations of creatinine and urea than patients with antithrombotic aFXa levels. CONCLUSION: Standard dosages of certoparin of 3,000 IU given once or twice daily are ineffective for attaining the recommended aFXa levels of 0.1 to 0.3 IU/ml in critically ill patients. Low antithrombin levels before certoparin administration were independently associated with low aFXa levels. Renal function and vasopressor therapy may further influence the effectiveness of certoparin in ensuring adequate antithrombotic prophylaxis