Urban Development Concept of Graz (including the concept "Green Net of Graz")

The Urban Development Concept of Graz (UDC) is a spatial planning document that includes integrating GI into the spatial planning process; it is updated every 10 years. In the UDC it is determined the mandatory greening of roofs and facades and the maximum degree of soil sealing in built-up areas as well as the minimum green areas per m²/inhabitant to provide the multi-benefits of improved air quality, adaptation to rainfall and flooding. The Green Net Graz, a conceptual study on improving living conditions within a constantly growing city by means of green spaces, has a key influence on the UDC and specifies that each citizen lives within 300m of a green space. It causes often problems to keep green areas free for settlements as the city is growing and needs these areas. As the UDC is a legal binding instrument, the local spatial planning has to stick to these determinations further on in their landusemaps and zoning maps. The evidence of success is given as you can see the still existing green areas in high density parts of Graz and the growing amount of green roofs. As a partner in PERFECT, through our stakeholder group and peer working, we have raised awareness with planners and politicians of good practices for multi-benefiting GI at the local level. Every municipality in Styria has to create a local development concept and can now overtake the determinations about GI. It is a good practice for all municipalities to implement GI in spatial planning.