Wo die schweren Hämmer dröhn[t]en

On the spatial and functional development of the rural community of Traismauer under the influence of technological transformation processes from the transition from the agricultural age to the industrial age to possible visions of the future in the digital age.

Digitalization is considered as one of the megatrends with potential to change rural areas (cf. Geschäftsstelle der Österreichischen Raumordnungskonferenz 2021, 27). However, so far only little attention has been put on the topic in the planning as well as in the public discourse of the rural municipality of Traismauer in Lower Austria. The thesis therefore aims to fill this gap by putting the question of the potential spatial-functional development of the municipality under the influence of digitalization in a historical context to show the continuity of the topic of the influence of technological transformation processes and to gain a broad understanding of the status quo. Since the aim is a holistic approach in time as well as in space, the study considers different spatial levels (networks, city structure, settlement structure).

To examine the spatial and functional development of the municipality, beginning with the transition from the agricultural age to the industrial age, information from historical and current city maps, from orthophotos, pictures, course and address books, statistical surveys of the municipality as well as from contemporary witnesses and literature, which deals with the area under investigation, complemented by information from on-site research gets linked with general technological transformation processes as well as local events.

A structural change of the municipality influenced by technological transformation processes is becoming apparent, which is spatially manifested in different ways. The employment structure changes and the importance of the municipality as a place of work decreases while at the same time exchange relationships and the radius of action are expanded and accelerated. One can detect the change and production of spatial structures directly linked with technological transformation processes such as industrial areas or power plants. Equally, technological transformation processes contribute to the shift of initially mixed-use settlement bodies towards functionally differentiated spatial zones. Even though functions of daily needs experience a spatial concentration during the period of investigation, a decentralized spatial scattering of other functions - especially service companies - over settlement bodies can be detected recently. At the same time, initially compact settlements characterized by short distances grow into areas of less density shaped by motorized traffic. So far, only little influence of the digitalization on the spatial-functional development of the municipality can be detected.

Following the analysis, a possible future vision of the municipality under the influence of digitization is drawn. It includes the definition of planning measures on the different spatial levels and the specification of these in a draft for a selected spatial area of the municipality. It is the vision of a municipality that reacts to changing requirements due to digitization and actively uses the potential of it to shape the still open space of possibilities.