Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Lower Austria, Austria

Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Lower Austria, Austria, is characterized by a long-standing development process that began in the cadastral communes in 1988 and initiated a comprehensive urban renewal process in 1993, which resulted in the ambitious vision 2030 – a high-profile guideline for the entire community in the areas of housing, work and tourism, which was created hand in hand by citizens, experts and local politicians.

The implementation of this vision is already well advanced and evident in a large number of lighthouse projects in the areas of building culture, regional economy, arts and culture, contemporary social infrastructure as well as ecology. Numerous measures were implemented through inter-municipal cooperation. 

For example, the municipality cooperates on broadband expansion, intercommunal zoning and public transport within the Mostviertel region, the small region and the „Leaderregion Eisenstraße”. The installation of a „Stadtkümmerer“, who coordinates the downtown entrepreneurs and the administration and thus contributes to the inner city appreciation, is also outstanding. In general, the openness for heterogeneity and diversity, contemporary participation structures and broad civic engagement as well as the exemplary coexistence of city and state at eye level should be highlighted.

Evaluated: 2018