STROLLING MILE URFAHR

Especially in cities the effects of climate change are even more noticeable due to the high amount of sealed surfaces, rising traffic density and the lack of green areas. These influence not only infrastructure and the environment but also the quality of life in the cities. “STROLLING MILE URFAHR“ is a project to redesign a part of the road “Hauptstraße“ in Linz (Austria) into a shared space to keep the street liveable and lively with an ecological background. The four main goals of this project are 1. creating identity for the city district Urfahr by using a recognisable colour and a clear design language, 2. decelerating the stressful daily life and redirecting the individual motorised traffic to wider roads, 3. creating a connection between people by implementing public spaces with seating possibilities, connecting and extending pedestrian and cycle routes and connecting the city with the surrounding nature, 4. establishing the concept of a “green city” by using local materials, improving the green infrastructure of the city and implementing a sustainable water management.

The rainwater management used in this project is called “sponge city”. Instead of leading the rainwater in the sewage system, it flows in one of fourteen raingardens, where it is filtered and partly seeping into the ground. Redundant water is reused to irrigate the trees. The vegetation is cooling down the surrounding area by evaporation. Therefore, heat waves can be moderated and floods can be prevented by relieving the sewage system.