Mediation Siebensternplatz

Best Practice

Topics

• New forms of decision-making
• Regional value added, Governance capacity, Mobility, Policies and instruments

Short description

The Siebensternplatz is a popular, new designed square in the 7th district of Vienna. The remodelling a few years ago led to a very attractive, but heavily used square. There are several pubs and restaurants with outdoor seating and many open-air events. A string of popular evening spots began to flourish. Conflicts between residents, users and shopkeepers concerning noise problems resulted in this new situation. The Municipality of Vienna started a Mediation Process to work out an agreement to reduce noise. Noise makers and noise victims were first brought together for discussion in a mediation process.

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Project executive

Municipality of Vienna, Municipial Department 22 (Environmental Protection)

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Participants

Five representatives of the local residents, the owners of the offending pubs and restaurants, representatives of Vienna's Community Services Department, The District Council, the police and the local housing services office, as well as the competent city administration departments participated in the discussions, within the so-called SYLVIE-team acting as mediators.

Objectives

The project aims to achieve a consensual agreement on the future usage of the Siebensternplatz and to reduce noise on Siebensternplatz.

Activities

There are three major steps: (1) preparation (design of procedure, information and preliminary talks with participants, nomination of representatives), (2) negotiation (expectations, show noise conflicts, statements of interests, development of answers and solutions, commitment of realisation), (3) realisation of measures

Process

In a series of 6 meetings the participants analysed the problems, tried to find solutions and decided on a number of measures to be taken.

Results

The owner of one pub retrofitted his sound system so that the sound level is automatically turned down whenever the sliding doors giving access to the outdoor seating area are operated. Plasticied metal ropes replaced the rattling chains which had previously been used to secure outdoor tables and chairs after closing time; this also eliminated the need for noisy stacking of tables and chairs late in the evening. At the same time an educational campaign was launched, with appeals for considerate behaviour appearing on posters, stickers, menue cards and in other conspicious places. Several containers for waste glass and other solid waste, which had been identified as sources of particularly disturbing noise, where fitted with rubber wheels. With respect to official permits for events, the authorities adopted a policy of shifting the time for clearance and cleaning work required after an event to the following morning. As local residents can tolerate event-related noise better if they know about such events beforehand, a SYLVIE showcase was set up to keep them informed about the upcoming events for each month. In addition, information about the history of the square and the mediation process is also on display in the showcase. All agreements were realised immediately or within the first months after finishing the project.

Evaluation

The project has not been evaluated yet.

Difficulties

There is no information about difficulties in the mediation procedure.

Budget

15.000 EUR incl. Moderation and material costs (Euro)

Financial backer

Vienna Municipial Department 22 (Environmental Protection), The project Siebensternplatz was realised as one of nine pilot projects withing the framework of the SYLVIE-project with 50% EU subsidies (LIFE programme).

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://www.sylvie.at

Publication

publications can be downloaded on http://www.sylvie.at

Project executive as above

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

The project shows that a lot of noise conflicts can be easily solved. Noise is omnipresent in cities: traffic, entertainment facilities, restaurants and pubs, construction sites, commercial enterprises or just the neighbours next door, they all make noise. In the densely built-up urban areas of most cities, noise disturbance is considerably higher than the aspired limits and standards. Noise is the dominant environmental stress factor in cities. The participants in project on Siebensternplatz detected several measures to reduce noise and noice conflicts.

Economic value added

There's no information about economic value added.

Socio-cultural value added

Because – in free interpretation of the words of satirist Kurt Tucholsky: "noise is sounds made by other people" - the human perception of noise is not so much determined by objective physically measurable sound values but by subjective criteria, i.e. on the basis of social and cultural perspectives. The project focused on mediation between noise offenders and noise victims, always endeavouring to create a platform for co-operation among all stakeholders in urban noise.

Innovative content

The SYLVIE project was the first to adopt a 'cooperative process' based on the principles of the Local Agenda 21, i.e. a procedure applicable in any city for solving noise-related and other conflicts. The core element of this process was personal communication.

Good governance

In parallel with the detailed noise analysis, residents were informed about the project through targeted PR activities and events. These measures helped to motivate many residents affected by noise to participate actively in the "cooperative noise abatement process". Out of more than 200 noise conflict cases in Vienna reported to the process managment, nine representative cases were selected to be solved within the framework of the cooperative process. One of them was the mediation process on Siebensternplatz. Noise abatement measures were mapped out in cooperation with representatives from administrative and political bodies, noise experts and the noise offenders and victims. Some of these measures have already been implemented.

PR impact

public showcase, stickers, homepage www.sylvie.at, local and national newspapers, radio, press conference. The project Siebensternplatz and the SYLVIE-project set great store by communication and the new media: Within the scope of the project, the modular online noise information system LOIS was set up as a communication and information platform for the administration, experts and interested citizens. LOIS can be accessed via the Internet at www.lois.wien.at. In parallel with the detailed noise analysis, residents were informed about the project through targeted PR activities. The SYLVIE-project was nominated out of 900 international projects of 107 countries at the Stockholm Challenge Award in 2004.

Multiplier effect / networking

The project was very successful, experiences were exchanged on national and international level. Until today there's no other known project that deals with noise reduction and noise abatement in inner-urban areas.

Transferability

The project Sylvie and the pilot project Siebensternplatz are very well documented. The measures are not absolutely dependent on the local area. The project seems to be transferable in any related case in innerurban residential areas.

Remarks

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Further information

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