116 THE BUILDING CONSERVATION DIRECTORY 2025 CATHEDRAL COMMUNICATIONS LESSONS FROM VIENNA A people first approach to regeneration PHILIP BLACK and RACHEL KERR HISTORIC URBAN environments often face a conservation dilemma – how to tackle sustainability and growth agendas through regeneration without risking harm to the delicate components that define a place’s sense of identity and history. Liverpool lost its Unesco world heritage status due to proposed developments aimed at growing the economic power of the city and attracting more people to live and visit. But this was deemed a significant danger to the preservation of the innate character of an area that’s urban form and architecture reflect the rich story of the city and its people. Unesco argued development must be more reverent of the historic palimpsest; Liverpool argued growth required a more radical form of conservation regeneration. Liverpool’s insistence, and Unesco’s subsequent disassociation, demonstrates the challenge of balancing the desire to develop and grow with the need to conserve and protect. Vienna, Austria, is a city with a strong record in historic regeneration that seeks to strike such a balance. From its origins as a Roman castrum through to a modern European cultural capital, the present-day cityscape reveals and embodies elements of its diverse urban and architectural context, resulting in Unesco world heritage status being bestowed upon the historic centre from 2001. Vienna is not only defined by this heritage but also by its ability to confidently stride into the future through a well curated mix of bold approaches that balance growth and sustainability agendas with conservation and pride in their unique history. Vienna’s approach has been multiscalar and multi-dimensional. It looks beyond only its historic core, recognising the need to consider broader scales and a wider, joined-up approach to attracting people, delivering quality, preserving and enhancing heritage, promoting sustainability, and developing economically in line with competing European capitals. In this article we will unpack five key lessons from the Viennese approach, ranging from the strategic to the local scale. ATTRACTING PEOPLE: NEW DEVELOPMENT Attracting people into the city, both as new residents and as visitors, is a core part of the regeneration strategy for Vienna. This was partially achieved through the development of strategic transport hubs linking nationally and internationally. These hubs became the focus for the delivery of new residential neighbourhoods and commercial opportunities to grow the local economy. Significant investment was allocated for the redevelopment of Westbahnhof Regenerating the historic: Vienna’s Karlskirche public realm upgrade is a good example of the city’s pro-active approach to conservation.
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