Wild Vienna
The Hidden History of the City’s Informal Urbanization
- Author
- Andre Krammer
- Supervision
- Co-supervision
- Type of thesis
- Monograph
- Start
- Summer Semester 2022
- Image
- © “Exchange and steering center”, Illustration from the study: Vom Grabeland zur Wilden Siedlung, Magistratsabteilung 18 (MA18, 1949): Facharchiv der Magistratsabteilung 18. Sign. P, SEP-P05226
This dissertation provides an overview of informal urbanization in Vienna during the 20th century, offering a new perspective on planning discourse and the authorities' handling of "wild" settlements. The diverse manifestations of "informal Vienna" sparked an ongoing debate about restoring orderly urban development after 1945.
In addition to analyzing quantitative and qualitative aspects, the study examines the shifting significance of informal urbanization over several decades — particularly its lengthy formalization process. Furthermore, it explores the co-evolution of formal urban planning and the informal grand projet.
A comparative historical analysis of the interactions between formal and informal spatial and housing production highlights the role of informal urban development in addressing the "housing question" in 20th-century Vienna.
Additionally, a typological approach to grading informality is introduced, reconstructing formalization processes over time. This "gradation of informality" aims to contribute to contemporary classification approaches to informal urban development in both the Global South and North.