Healthy Streets and Places

How should streets and public spaces in a municipality be designed so that as many residents as possible feel comfortable and make use of public spaces for themselves and others?

Topic: Sustainability
Focus: Health-promoting spatial planning
Method: Citizens' assembly

Duration: January 2023 - December 2024
Status: completed
Location: Styria
Funding: Caring Communities for Future

What is the project about?

How should streets and public spaces in a municipality be designed so that as many residents as possible feel comfortable and make use of public spaces for themselves and others?

This question is being addressed by the Healthy Streets and Public Spaces project in Wartberg, a district of the market municipality of St. Barbara im Mürztal. A group of residents is invited to contribute their ideas, experiences, and suggestions.

A group of 12 participants (young and old, with and without specific needs, etc.) will be formed and introduced to the collaborative process.

The group will develop a set of criteria for assessing streets and public spaces in Wartberg. The guiding question is: How should public spaces be designed so that as many residents as possible perceive streets and public spaces as liveable and make use of them?

The developed criteria will then be applied to a specific site in Wartberg. Based on the results, a concrete design plan will be developed.

What is the goal of the project?

Indicators for healthy streets and public spaces in rural areas, as well as a design proposal for a specific street section, will be developed collaboratively.

Who participates in the project?

Participants included residents of Wartberg, local residents living in the project area, key community stakeholders, and representatives of the municipal government and administration

How are participants involved in the project?

Landscape planning walk, Photovoice, Community Mapping

How are participants recruited for the project?

Participants are recruited through municipal contacts.

What are the results of the project?

Indicators for health-promoting and climate-resilient spatial planning in rural areas have been developed. A preliminary design proposal for the redevelopment of the town centre has been prepared.

What value and impact has the project achieved?

Following the public call for participation in the project, ten residents of Wartberg volunteered to take part. Over the subsequent eighteen months, they met regularly to develop a preliminary design proposal for a new Wartberg town centre that would foster social interaction and community life, using a range of participatory methods such as Photovoice and Community Mapping. The group of co-researchers participated very actively and engaged openly with the different methods used throughout the project. Discussions were conducted in a respectful and constructive manner, enabling the group to arrive at a consensual preliminary design proposal. Through this participatory process, participants experienced firsthand that they had opportunities to shape and influence developments within their community. Several co-researchers independently presented the preliminary design proposal to the mayor and expressed their willingness to remain actively involved in the implementation process. The municipality itself also became aware of additional programmes and services offered by Styria Vitalis through the project and has since made more extensive use of these opportunities, including the funding programme “For a Healthy Styria” (Auf eine gesunde Steiermark) and the initiative “Enjoying Health Together” (Gemeinsam Gesund Genießen). The final presentation of the preliminary design proposal to the wider population of Wartberg was met with some criticism. However, in subsequent smaller discussion rounds, the co-researchers were able to engage directly with residents, discuss the proposed design, and explain the rationale behind their ideas. These exchanges demonstrated that the project and the activities of the co-researchers had stimulated broader reflection within the community regarding the future of the town centre and the needs and priorities of local residents. In a final focus group discussion, the co-researchers expressed their continued commitment to supporting and advocating for the implementation of the preliminary design proposal.