2022 Johann Nepomuk Vogl Platz

THE CLIMATE-RESILIENT REDESIGN OF JOHANN-NEPOMUK-VOGL-PLATZ

The Sponge City Principle for Trees City squares of the future should improve the quality of stay in public space and must be designed for climate-resilience. The redesign of Johann-Nepomuk-Vogl-Platz addressed this challenge. The square is situated in a densely built-up part of Vienna’s 18th district. A market area with food stalls surrounds a central plaza with an impervious surface, seating, old and newly planted trees and a playground. To create a pleasant micro-climate shade and evaporation by trees are needed. Thias requires healthy and well-developed trees and sufficient moisture in ground for the trees to evaporate. The sponge city principle for trees provides a nature-based solution for growing trees in impervious surfaces. The stormwater management was designed to collect the roof runoff from the market stalls and all surface waters from the square. A splash pad on the plaza is fed with drinking water for hygienic reasons, the runoff irrigates the trees. Discharge into the sewer is reduced to zero. Six newly planted trees on the plaza are provided with an extended root space of 35 m³ per tree. The substrate consists of coarse aggregate for load bearing and washed-in fines for water and nutrient storage. The retained water is available for evaporation by the trees, the surplus infiltrates into the subsoil. The sponge city principle for trees proves to be a functioning method for combining stormwater management, climate change adaptation and quality of stay through green infrastructure in streets and urban spaces in a multifunctional way.

Authors: Karl Grimm, Landschaftsarchitekten
Photo Credit: Photos 1-3: Johannes Hloch Photo 5: Karl Grimm
Country: Austria