2007–2008 Study on Cityscape Protection in Vienna

Study Stadtbildschutz in Wien. Eine Evaluierung der Schutzzone (Cityscape Protection in Vienna. An Evaluation of the “Schutzzone”) commissioned by the city of Vienna, Magistratsabteilung 19 – Architektur und Stadtgestaltung, with Wolfgang Feilmayr.
Goal of the study was the evaluation of the “Schutzzone” (protection zone) instrument and its application in practice, 35 years after its introduction and 15 years after its first comprehensive revision. The project was planned as a formative evaluation and as a basis for better information of stakeholders and all citizens concerning the “Schutzzone”. Effektivity, benefits, not-intended effects, relevance and quality of this intersument in relation to the cityscape were topics of the evaluation. Additionally, a quantitative analysis of the Schutzzone’s effect on real-estate prices was conducted. Methods were expert interviews for the qualitative part and assessment of real-estate properties with hedonic prices for the quantitative part; in addition, literature and web research and site inspections were used. The results were discussed in two expert workshops. The analyses led to proposals and development potentials to improve the “Schutzzone” instrument. For four areas, symbolic politics, city structure, regulation and instrument, four or five proposals were described and justified.