| Austria | Pioneered from 1993; mainstreamed across all planning levels by 2010s
What was done
Vienna's gender-responsive planning programme was initiated in 1993 under urban planner Eva Kail and has since been institutionalised across all scales of municipal planning. The approach analyses how different population groups – women, men, children, elderly, disabled persons – use and experience public space differently, and designs interventions to meet diverse needs. Over 60 pilot projects have been completed across Vienna at scales ranging from individual parks to district masterplans. Simultaneously, Vienna institutionalised participatory public space redesign: development of STEP 2025 involved public exhibitions, stakeholder dialogues, and online platforms; the redesign of major public spaces (Aspern Lakeside, Hauptbahnhof quarter) incorporated structured community workshops. Municipal departments are now required to produce Participation Plans for major projects.
Key Outcomes
- Over 60 gender-responsive pilot projects implemented, establishing Vienna as the international reference case for gender-sensitive urban planning.
- Mandatory Participation Plans for all major municipal projects institutionalise resident engagement as a standard planning procedure.
- Participatory redesign of Aspern Seestadt – one of Europe's largest urban development projects – involved over 200 workshops and 10,000 participants.
- Digital feedback tools and community mapping platforms extended participation to younger and less mobile residents.
- Vienna's approach informed the gender-responsive planning provisions of the New Leipzig Charter (2020) and UN-Habitat guidance.
More information: