Is Austria finished?

Is Austria finished?

"Austria is not fully built. Anyone who takes this view is living far away from reality." The statement by Andreas Pfeiler, managing director of the Stone Ceramics Association, is quite provocative - and quite deliberately chosen. It is a response to the demand to drastically reduce the use of land. Specifically: to reduce daily land consumption from 11 to 2.5 hectares. It was most recently set up by the environmental organization WWF.

Requirement partially fulfilled

Soil consumption or land use refers to the sealing of the soil by structures such as buildings or roads so that precipitation can no longer penetrate it. According to publicly available figures, almost exactly 3.7 percent of the country's area was sealed in 2024. The stupid thing about the environmental organizations' demand is that it has already been partially met.

This is pointed out by market researcher Andreas Kreutzer, who deals intensively with the matter. In 2024, land use fell for the second year in a row - by 15.5 percent. The daily land consumption in 2024 was therefore not 11, but 6.75 hectares. Kreutzer attributes the decline to two factors: On the one hand, it was due to the weak construction sector - and therefore not sustainable. On the other hand, the “Soil Strategy Austria” approved by states and municipalities in February 2024 may also have had a dampening effect.

Trade association representative Pfeiler sees his opinion confirmed by the facts. But he understands the different interests: "We are in an area of ​​tension that must be carefully weighed: There is a legitimate interest in using the scarce land sparingly. On the other hand, the population is growing and with it the need for living space and infrastructure," says Pfeiler. "I'll just take the example of the energy transition: for a wind turbine you need an access road and a foundation. It won't work without construction work." But, Pfeiler continues: "We have to proceed more intelligently and find a balance between the various interests with flexible solutions. A rigid target like the 2.5 hectare target won't get us anywhere."

In the summer, the building materials industry published the position paper “Austria is not finished!” presented in which it “shows perspectives for a sustainable future, both in terms of construction and the use of land”. This position paper was recently discussed with a top-class group of experts in Vienna. The obvious and probably rhetorical title of the event: “Is Austria finished?”

Pfeiler made the position of the building materials industry clear: “The Austrian building materials industry sees itself as having a responsibility here and is seeking dialogue with stakeholders in order to find viable solutions together on how land use can function sustainably.” In order to find the necessary balance between individual interests, “strategic land management with clear goals” is needed, explained Arthur Kanonier, head of the research department for soil policy and soil management at the Vienna University of Technology. Around 6,000 km² of the local area has already been used, around half of it is dedicated to building land and a quarter of it is still undeveloped. With population growth, the pressure on available space also increases. “The order of the day is not to sprawl, but to densify areas that have already been developed,” said Kanonier.

Compaction can make a significant contribution to the economical use of the soil. The architect Armin Mohsen Daneshgar explained the potential of adding floors to existing buildings: “Vienna's roofs offer around three million square meters of space for 200,000 apartments.” At least one floor can be built, but usually several, without affecting the living quality of the lower floors. Further positive effects: roof gardens as green oases and up to 80 percent energy savings if the existing building is also renovated as part of the expansion.

Pfeiler also considers compaction to be a central lever. He also thinks about the use of building land that has already been dedicated: “Why seal new areas when over 67,000 hectares are dedicated as building land but not used?” The mobilization of these areas is one of the major tasks. This included building gaps within the town, expanding existing roof spaces and increasing densification of existing buildings.

"Of course we are interested in construction taking place. But we want to act responsibly and we are committed to that," explained Roland Hebbel from the Central Association of Industrial Building Product Manufacturers. For him that means: new building, yes, but sustainable. Daniel Fügenschuh, President of the Federal Chamber of Civil Engineers, also called for a change of course: "Every year we use an area the size of Eisenstadt. This increases the risk of floods, heat islands and other disasters." His solution: make better use of existing buildings and town centers. Renovations, the mobilization of brownfields and the conversion of old commercial areas could make a significant contribution to creating new living space without using up additional land.

The Austrian land strategy aims to substantially reduce land use by 2030. The current government program defines various starting points for building without soil, such as prioritizing land recycling over redevelopment, and renovation over new construction. Now we will see what this means in practice.

“We see ourselves confirmed in our efforts over the last few years,” says the association’s managing director, Pfeiler. The trade association has been pushing measures such as dense building for years, “because this also saves energy.” In addition, mineral building materials are sustainable, circular and multifunctional and enable building at greater heights and with higher densities. Construction products manufacturer representative Hebbel: “In this way, building land can be mobilized and the use of land can be minimized.”

Facts about land use in Austria

• Bereits genutzt: 5.902 km² (7 Prozent der Staatsfläche)
• Davon versiegelt: 52,5 Prozent (3,7 Prozent der Staatsfläche)
• Flächenneuinanspruchnahme 2024: 24,7 km² (minus 15,5 Prozent zum Vorjahr)
• Täglicher Durchschnitt 2024: 6,75 Hektar
• Gewidmetes, unbebautes Bauland: rund 67.000 Hektar
• Wohnbedarf Wien: rund 15.000 neue Wohnungen pro Jahr
• Potenzial Wiens Dachflächen: 200.000 Wohnungen