Back on the Street: Vienna, Copenhagen, Munich, and Rotterdam in focus

The paper presents a comparative study on neighbourhood streets in the densely populated cities of Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Munich, and Vienna. First, urban development is contextualized in a brief history of alternative street development approaches. Then, the current measures and strategies to transform streets into sufficient public spaces for a growing number of people are investigated. The analysis of street sections in the four cities revealed significant differences in the existing street layout but also similar planning strategies, a similar approach to the appropriation, and an aesthetics of informality in certain cases. Discussing the cities’ policies towards this reclamation, the paper shows how contemporary measures go beyond the simple recovery of traffic lanes for cyclists or creating pedestrian walkways. A conclusion is drawn that top-down building and design measures are merging with bottom-up or activated civic engagement and although the streets observed are in good condition, barrier-free, and well-maintained, improvements for streets as living environments are at an early stage.