The outer Bahnhofstraße is the gateway to the state capital Klagenfurt: it shapes the first impression for those arriving at the main railway station, serves as the central traffic artery into the city centre and will become even more important with the opening of the Koralmbahn railway line at the end of 2025. In close cooperation with the state capital Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the ACCTRA research project looked at how the outer Bahnhofstraße can be made fit for the future – for residents, businesses, commuters and all visitors to the state capital.
The basis for the work on Bahnhofstraße was the broad involvement of relevant stakeholders from politics, administration, special interest groups, the media, etc. More than 30 people were involved in the project. In further steps, surveys were conducted with residents, users on the street, as well as companies and organisations on the outer Bahnhofstraße. In total, more than 250 people were involved. The results show that pedestrian traffic is particularly important for the outer Bahnhofstraße and is even more important to residents than car use. Among other things, the survey of people in the street clearly showed that during the test week, more space should be given to pedestrian and bicycle traffic and the quality of stay should be improved – ideas that are also relevant for the future of the outer Bahnhofstraße in general.
During the test week from 5 to 11 May 2025, two possible variants for future street design were presented on a 30-metre section – the ‘Rambla’ and ‘Boulevard’ variants. These were brought to life on site with tables, chairs, benches, rolled turf and plants. Posters and a team from the city of Klagenfurt provided information and encouraged discussion. A survey card was used to gather evaluations and general feedback on the two options. In addition, further ideas for the future of the outer Bahnhofstraße could be submitted. These were also distributed to employees of the large institutions on Bahnhofstraße. A joint workshop with the WKK was also part of the test week.
With over 500 responses during the test week and a remarkably positive response from both passers-by and the press, a solid foundation has been laid for future developments on the outer Bahnhofstraße. The results can be downloaded from the website torzurstadt.at, opens an external URL in a new window.
With the activities in Klagenfurt now concluded, the ACCTRA project will move on to developing transnational conclusions in dialogue with partners from Sweden and Turkey. The aim is to formulate guidelines for the strategic implementation of real-world experiments in street spaces based on the research results.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) and the FFG and is led by the Vienna University of Technology. Project partners are netwiss OG, Bednar Landschaftsarchitektur and the City of Klagenfurt (Department of Climate and Environmental Protection).
More information at: torzurstadt.at, opens an external URL in a new window