Green vision for Hernals: a liveable city boulevard in sight!

Green vision for Hernals: a liveable city boulevard in sight!

On April 1, 2025, Judith Pühringer, non-executive city councilor from the Greens, and local councilor Kilian Stark presented their visions for the redesign of Hernalser Hauptstrasse in the 17th district. Under the project name “Hernals Morgen”, politicians and the city administration are pursuing the goal of transforming this central stretch of street, which many residents perceive as a “traffic hell”, into a more livable space. Elterleinplatz in particular is described as a “heat hotspot”, which underlines the need for redesign and points to the global challenges in urban planning.

Current plans can be seen in direct connection with the future U5 construction site. This planned subway line will connect Elterleinplatz and the S 45 Hernals station to the existing subway network and thus significantly change the traffic situation. The MA18 has already started with surface planning in order to adapt the redesign of Hernalser Hauptstraße to the current needs of the citizens neos Vienna reported.

Green measures for sustainability

The Greens are proposing a number of measures to increase the quality of life on Hernalser Hauptstrasse. This includes creating more green spaces, safe cycle paths and wider sidewalks. The idea of ​​planting up to 1,000 new trees in the district is intended not only to counteract the urban heat, but also to create a “cool city boulevard”. A central point is also the visualization of the underground Alsbach, which is to be brought back into the city.

A new park is also being sought to make the district more livable. These measures, which are to be summarized in a comprehensive concept, aim to use the potential to reduce traffic and make the public space in Hernals more citizen-friendly.

Involvement of citizens

In order to hear the opinions of residents, a citizen survey was carried out in October 2022. This survey, in which over 760 people took part, served to collect wishes and ideas for the future design of the main street and its side streets. The results of this survey were discussed in November 2022 and will be incorporated into the planning to create opportunities to stay through green areas and benches.

The above suggestions are part of a comprehensive approach to promote green space in the city. The position paper “Green in the City” from the Association of Cities highlights the importance of more green spaces in urban areas and documents the need to design urban space not only for traffic, but also for citizens. The efforts on Hernalser Hauptstrasse thus fit into the broader discussion about urban space and livable cities, as also in City Day is emphasized.