Klagenfurt

Investing in densification to protect soils and undeveloped land stock.

The city area is 120 km² and includes low lands as well as mountains. The city center is about 450 m above sea level; The highest point within the municipality is the Ulrichsberg at 1022 m above sea level. Klagenfurt is located next to lake Woerthersee. Only one third of the city area is urbanized, around two thirds are designated to agriculture, forest or natural areas. Land cover types are:

29.1 % agricultural area
32.5 % forest
22.2 % artificial area
2.2 % water
0.6 % gardens
13.5 % “other types of use”

Klagenfurt has a historic city centre and large commercial areas and an airport at the outskirts. There is in general no heavy industry in the region. The city has scattered land take at the city boundaries with low building height and densities.

Soil and Planning Challenges

Increasing land take despite moderate population growth: Land take has risen by 21% between 2001 and 2022, outpacing population growth (+15%). Contributing factors include an abundance of undeveloped building land (16%) and inefficient land use with many vacant or underutilised properties.
Mismatch between climate goals and planning practices: Although Klagenfurt has strong environmental ambitions (e.g. participation in the EU Mission “100 climate-neutral and Smart Cities”), local zoning decisions often result in extensive soil sealing and give limited priority to soil protection.
Further environmental pressures:
- Urban heat in sealed areas (partly addressed through the ADAPT-UHI pilot project)
- Flood risk and pressure on retention areas, especially in the south, where shallow groundwater and poor soil conditions coincide with high development demand

Soil and Planning Opportunities

Despite the challenges described above, Klagenfurt’s positioning within EU climate initiatives such as the “100 climate-neutral and Smart Cities by 2030” reflects a strong political and strategic ambition for more sustainable development. The city has already begun implementing measures based on research and pilot projects, such as the ADAPT-UHI project, to reduce urban heat in sealed areas.
Furthermore, the existence of large undeveloped areas within zoned building land and underused properties offers an opportunity to optimise land use without further land take. Improving efficiency in land use, strengthening soil protection policies, and making better use of existing retention areas could help Klagenfurt align its environmental ambitions with concrete planning decisions.

Ambition for the SPADES project

The SPADES project in Klagenfurt aims to improve land use efficiency by identifying and repurposing vacant and underused areas, as well as promoting densification in already developed districts. This creates several opportunities for engagement with the pilot:

City Planning Department: Collaborating to develop practical instruments for inventorying vacant properties and defining their potential uses, ensuring more efficient land utilisation within urban areas.
Spatial Planning Department of the Federal State: Working to integrate soil functions into spatial planning and identifying opportunities for densification in existing urban spaces.
Business Agency of the Federal State (BABEG): Partnering to promote sustainable building qualities, such as green roofs and solar panels, while aligning landowner interests with broader urban development goals.

By engaging these key stakeholders, Klagenfurt aims to drive the effective implementation of solutions that support sustainable urban development and improved land use efficiency.

Image by Fotohorst 2014