Perg. In over 11,000 hours of work, 36 spatial planning students from the Vienna University of Technology developed nine spatial development concepts for the Aist-Naarn urban region, comprising the municipalities of Perg, Schwertberg, Naarn, and Arbing in Upper Austria, during this winter semester. In January 2026, they presented their comprehensive findings to numerous political representatives of the urban region at the Kulturzeughaus Perg and discussed them in detail with them afterwards.
The urban region is characterized by a high quality of life, economic strength, and a strong culture of inter-municipal cooperation. Building on this, spatial development concepts with evocative names such as “Entwined and Sewn Together” and “Productive Region” were used to draft visions for the future of the region in terms of its settlement development, natural spaces, and mobility. A total of 220 proposed measures were derived from the concepts, and nine concrete flagship projects were developed.
“We are very grateful for this rewarding cooperation with the Vienna University of Technology. The technical input and unbiased perspective of the students helps us in the region to make good decisions in order to exploit our development potential,” said Mayor Toni Froschauer from Perg.
The P2 study project began in October 2025 with a four-day workshop for students in the urban region. The program included visits to local communities, keynote speeches, and a tour of the LOC plant in Arbing to help students get to know the region. Under the direction of the interdisciplinary teaching team (Thomas Dillinger and Nina Svanda from the Regional Planning and Regional Development Research Unit, Gesa Witthöft from the Sociology Research Unit, Arnold Faller from the Digital Architecture and Spatial Planning Research Unit, opens an external URL in a new window, Michael Klamer from the Transport System Planning Research Unit, and Boris Salak from the Landscape Architecture and Landscape Planning Research Unit, opens an external URL in a new window), the spatial development concepts were analyzed and developed throughout the winter semester in close consultation with the mayors and municipal administrations. Christoph Artner-Sulzer from the Mühlviertel Regional Management Office, opens an external URL in a new window provided technical and organizational support as an interface between the university and the region. The project was supported by the EUREGIO Cooperation Fund, which covered the students' accommodation costs.
The results will be published on the P2 website at the beginning of March.