Project description

Period: 2012-2014

Immigration has become a decisive factor in demographic change and population growth in Austria. However, for a variety of reasons, the integration policy challenges associated with it have so far mostly been insufficiently addressed. If immigration and quality of life in municipalities are to be combined, integration policy as an instrument for economic and social development strategies becomes the focus of spatial action.

Integration processes always have a spatial reference. They happen on the ground, are sometimes significantly influenced by municipal and regional policy measures and interventions, and take place under the regulatory framework of higher-level regional authorities. From the point of view of spatial policy, the ÖREK Partnership Diversity and Integration in Spatial Areas is therefore intended to contribute to expanding the knowledge base for successful integration processes on the ground, to prepare the findings in a practical and implementation-oriented manner for actors in spatial development, regional and location policy, and to improve the structural conditions for policy coordination between regional authorities and between spatial and integration policy. 

In close cooperation between the staff members of the core team of the ÖREK partnership responsible for spatial development issues, scientists and planners of TU Wien and the University of Innsbruck, the International Network for Spatial Research Studies (YEAN), the Intercultural Center (IZ) as well as other (local) experts in integration and spatial issues, a series of workshops will address these complex and multi-layered demands and challenges in the field of diversity and integration in space. 

The professional accompaniment takes place under the premise of the further qualification of all participants. The results of this collaboration will be bundled in annual events and a final publication.

This project was carried out on behalf of the Federal Chancellery of Austria.

Handling: Rudolf Scheuvens, René Ziegler, Philip Krassnitzer, Bernhard Siquans, Patrick Klein - TU Wien, IFOER