Workshop 1 - Designing a superblock

Alice Steiner

Superblocks, as we know them from Barcelona, Vienna, or Berlin, are more than just traffic calming measures—they are an opportunity to rethink streets as places to linger, play, cool down, and meet. Greenery, shade, water features, and new amenities can not only reduce heat islands but also noticeably enrich social life in the neighborhood.

In the Harmsdorf-ORF district of Graz, this change is currently becoming a reality. A citizens' initiative has successfully campaigned for a superblock, the city of Graz has already carried out a citizen participation process, and the new traffic plan is ready.
This is where the real work begins: how do we design the newly gained open space? We think about the superblock from the big picture to the small details – from a coherent network of green spaces, water, and active mobility to detailed, concrete projects for individual locations in the neighborhood.

In the workshop, we will develop our own ideas for the ORF district based on international best practice examples. We will experiment and develop images for a sustainable neighborhood in which the street is no longer a traffic space, but a place to play, live, and spend time.

Cooperation with the Harmsdorf-ORF District Superblock Citizens' Initiative