The Ostbahnquartier, a new neighbourhood in the Jakomini district of Graz, is being built in the immediate vicinity of the Ostbahnhof railway station and the exhibition centre. It comprises the publicly accessible Ostbahnpark and two building plots with mixed uses such as residential, retail, services, offices and catering. The focus is on public, social, creative and productive offerings.
The strategic positioning of the Ostbahnpark in the south enables the creation of a larger green space in the densely built-up neighbourhood. Transformations of the commercial areas are intended to create additional green space and better networking of the parks. A green promenade along the railway lines serves as a biodiversity and leisure axis, a green buffer between the new quarter and the historic Ostbahnhof.

The integration of existing trees and new plantings creates a predominantly green neighbourhood. Buildings form quiet inner courtyards and open up to the green promenade. An infiltration trough channels rainwater to a catchment pond.
An underground car park under Raiffeisenstrasse enables car-free living. Cycle parking spaces are an integral part of the green and open space planning. To the north, the design responds to planned traffic measures.
The building heights are orientated towards the local building structure. Openings to the green promenade and continuous building plinths along Raiffeisenstrasse shield emissions and integrate green space. PV modules on higher roofs serve as energy sources and species refuges. Lower roofs are assigned to communal uses. The Ostbahnquartier offers a lively urban experience with a diverse ground floor zone for a wide range of target groups. The openness of use allows for adaptability and continuous further development.

Place: Graz, AUT

Partner: Feld72

Year: 2023

The Ludwigsfelder Partitur project cre- ates a seamless connection between the existing settlement and the new expansion, nestled within its surround- ing environment. The development of building areas, mix of uses, mobility, and energy concepts are designed to generate synergies with the surround- ings and allow for adaptations in the future. The expansion enhances the living quality of the aging settlement while preserving the green space as a link between old and new. Emission-free usage, walkability, climate adaptation, social integration, and future viability are central principles. Traffic is shifted to the periphery, while public trans- portation is integrated through central routes. Active mobility is promoted, and parked vehicles are organized within neighborhood garages. Distinctive key spaces, diverse rooftop landscapes, and mobility hubs enrich the neighbor- hood. Various housing forms, private and communal zones, as well as neigh- borhood houses ensure diversity and adaptability. A thoughtful energy and climate concept ensures sustainabil- ity. The focus on commemorative sites, sound insulation, and diversity of use shapes the neighborhood as a vibrant and forward-looking district.
The Ludwigsfelder Partitur project relies on an advanced mobility con- cept. The expansion of the settlement is accessed via a new perimeter road for motorized individual traffic, while local traffic is directed through efficient and space-saving pathways. A well-devel- oped network of attractive pedestrian and cycling routes promotes connectiv- ity within the neighborhood and beyond. Public transportation options, such as buses and potentially trams in the long run, utilize the neighborhood boulevard as a primary route. Mobility hubs stra- tegically located throughout the neigh- borhood offer a range of services, from bicycle rentals to car-sharing and logis- tics services. These hubs encourage multimodality and intermodality, ensur- ing environmentally friendly mobility without the need for a personal car. The entire concept enhances active mobil- ity, reduces motorized traffic within the neighborhood, and skillfully integrates it with public transportation and the surrounding recreational areas.

Place: Munich, GER

Partner: Feld72, Treibhaus Landschaftsarchitektur, Arup

Year: 2022

The Vademecum is based on four principles: (1) a high-quality cycling route network as a basis; (2) an accessible infrastructure for cyclists aged 8 to 80; (3) a growing number of cyclists and an increasing diversity of users and (4) cycling infrastructure considered from the perspective of the cyclist.

The Vademecum on Bicycle Facilities is intended to be a “live” and dynamic document, which will be regularly adapted and adjusted based on new insights, developments, or responses from the different users.

Artgineering together with the VUB was commissioned by the Flemish agency AWV and Fietsberaad to provide the process, content and design. 

Year: 2022

Client: Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer (AWV), FIETSBERAAD Vlaanderen

Partner: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) – Cosmopolis 

The guiding idea of the project “RE/UP/ MIX MBA” is to transform the isolated Max Becker Area (MBA) in Ehrenfeld into a diverse and interconnected urban community. This is to be achieved by creating new ecological, infrastructural, energetic, and functional connections within and beyond the area. The vision aims to establish strong identities in the form of identity-defining neighborhoods and to leverage existing urban patterns and industrial fragments as starting points for neighborhood development. The framework of activity fields emphasizes the overlapping of commerce, education, and residential functions to create a vibrant mix of uses and lifestyles. By consciously connecting residential and work areas and designing a diverse public space, a dynamic urban atmosphere is intended to emerge. The project development takes into account ongoing transformation and flexibility, including the integration of existing facilities such as an upgraded REWE store as a local supplier with a market hall.

Place: Cologne, Germany

Partner: Feld72

Year: 2022

In a joint observation walk and workshop with city representatives on potentials, goals, expectations and barriers, guidelines and ideas for Dammallee were developed and essential design elements were identified that could guide the planned redesign of Dammallee. The collaborative workshop was introduced by a public lecture about “Rethinking Public Spaces” and a first analysis of the area.  

Dammallee is a tangential street from the densely built-up Bayreuth city center with a large pedestrian zone. It is already a green axis along the historic city wall – between the dense inner-city Gassenviertel and the heterogeneous, mixed-use surroundings up to the busy ring road. The Dammallee is characterized by the historic city wall running parallel to it, along which closed residential blocks and solitary buildings form pockets of open space of different sizes and uses. Today, Dammallee has a lot of space for cars and very little space for people to meet and hang out. In the near future, the Dammallee will form part of the planned bicycle city ring. It runs along the Sendelbach, which is canalized in this section, and can be a piece of the puzzle and a connecting element between various green spaces.

Year: 2022

Client: Stadt Bayreuth

The masterplan Radoffensive Graz 2030 commissioned by the Land Steiermark and the city of Graz is more than just a handbook for cycling planning. On the one hand, it is a summary of an ongoing process, and on the other hand, it formulates an integral image of urban mobility for the future. Clear values, concise planning principles, a design concept and a bundled catalogue of measures are the product of multidisciplinary cooperation. This master plan supports the public authorities (departments of the City of Graz and the Province of Styria) and accompanying expert planners in the implementation of the €100 million project Cycle Offensive 2030. Based on the cycle network study of the Styrian core conurbation, existing plans are upgraded and new plans are initiated. The associated master plan sets new standards for a sustainable and intensive use of the bi- cycle. Investments in cycling are furthermore activated as a means of improving the city as a whole.

The masterplan includes a bicycle guidance system for recreational and functional cycling within the city and the entire region of the Land Steiermark. The focus is put on the road surface as the ‘user interface’: colour and markings are used as the primary design elements. Signage and digital applications are additional, secondary elements. The aim is an intuitive to use, self-explaining guidance system for all bicycle users.

Artgineering established the masterplan, the physical guidance system and currently accompanies the city and region on several pilot projects about bicycle streets and (transport-)bike parking. Stefan Bendiks was appointed the Masterplanner of the Radoffensive 2030.

Place: Graz, Austria
Client: Land Steiermark/ Stadt Graz
Year: 2020-
Value: +- 150.000,- euro (excl. tax)

Public urban spaces in Austrian small and medium-sized towns are still predominantly allocated in favor of motorized individual traffic (driving or parking), resulting in significant social and ecological impacts that require urgent action. The ongoing developments in the transportation system, with a continuously increasing motorization rate outside urban core zones, along with a societal mobility culture that remains heavily reliant on cars, are having a progressively negative influence on opportunities for social participation and gender-equitable usage. Furthermore, there’s a risk of losing the functionality of public spaces for active mobility, and the slow pace of ecological transformation of urban areas in terms of climate change adaptation.

Despite decision-making and planning processes being built on a traditional, negotiated framework, they are notably inflexible and hinder the necessary redistributive efforts in urban spaces. This is where the Tactical Mobilism project comes into play. The project aims to establish time-limited, simple, and cost-effective interventions in the transportation sector, such as new traffic management, reassignment of spaces, additional design elements, and greenery, as well as functional programming. The particularly crucial aspect is the collaborative and participatory develop- ment and testing of such interventions in public spaces within a so-called “real-world laboratory.” This approach opens up new perspectives, prompts the necessary rethinking among stakeholders, and can trigger a transformation in mobility culture.

The spatial intervention mechanisms intentionally implemented in the Tactical Mobilism project are aimed at improving their integration into existing planning and decision-making processes, thereby creating room for inclusive and sustainable mobility and quality of stay. The city of Villach, as a project partner and pilot city, provided the space for the first Tactical Mobilism real-world laboratory within the project. The experiences gained here can serve as a model and example for other cities in Austria and beyond. Drawing from the insights, follower cities can learn, incorporate processes and concepts, and utilize them for their transforma- tion and innovation processes. The physically tangible elements and pro- cedural insights tested in Villach have been summarized in a guide.

Place: Villach, AUT

Partner: TU Graz, TU Wien, queraum, planum

Year: 2021

Haren benefits from a very dense and ancient network of paths and tracks. Taken together, these connections represent a total network of around 10 km. However, in recent years, many of these paths and tracks have disappeared, some being incorporated into infrastructure projects, others into housing projects and others extinguished by not being used for thirty years. The City of Brussels, wishing to preserve and complete the network of footpaths that still exist with a view to promoting soft mobility while preserving the rural character of this part of the city, has decided to create a network of footpaths and pathways.

Machelen, has embarked on a path inventory and upgrading project. The project, carried out by the City of Brussels’ Planning Department, involved updating and digitising the atlas of Haren’s byways. This work was the starting point for the analysis of the state of the network of paths and tracks in Haren. At the same time, the City of Brussels set up a participatory process to consult and involve local residents in the reflections on this inventory. The process involves identifying and prioritising the connections and proposing a network to be preserved and completed, as well as an action plan to preserve, enhance and promote the paths and tracks in Haren.

The ‘Vade-mecum sentiers et chemins de Haren’ project, which is based on preliminary studies and information, consists of drawing up a practical guide defining specific developments for paths and tracks. The aim is to increase their use and visibility, making them more attractive and optimising their management.

The study consists of 2 parts: Analysis of the existing situation and Vision of the projected situation.

Place: Haren, Belgium
Client: Brussels city

Partner: Trage Wegen
Year: 2021

But how do we prevent the bicycle from becoming the new car? This thought gave rise to a series of design studies commissioned by the Board of Government Advisers and the G4 (the largest Dutch cities): how can bicycle use make a leap of scale, without the disadvantages overshadowing the advantages?

Artgineering worked on the case of Rotterdam, where, as in most Dutch cities, the bicycle network is already very good in the city centre, but where there is still a lot to be gained in the peri-urban areas. Spatial barriers, often erected by other infrastructures, make cycling there uncomfortable, unsafe and unattractive. However, cycling in these areas has enormous potential for commuting, to work, schools and shops. The shift from car to bicycle there can help against traffic jams and overcrowded public transport. Furthermore, good cycling routes have a lot of potential for opening up new development areas; and in the other direction – from the city to the countryside – for recreation.

Artgineering proposed s a better, more attractive and future-fit cycle network also on the outskirts of the city: with a great freedom of choice between cycle routes with different experiential values, a variety of amenities and generally a high level of service.

Download the CRa publication here:

https://www.collegevanrijksadviseurs.nl/binaries/college-van-rijksadviseurs/documenten/publicatie/2020/04/20/naar-een-schaalsprong-op-de-fiets/CRA+Naar+een+schaalsprong+op+de+fiets+-+lowresdigi2.pdf

Place: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Client: CRa, Municipality of Rotterdam
Year: 2019-20