On 13th September 2012 I had an interview with DI Andreas Hacker, responsible for the Southern part of the Stadt Umland Management (SUM), the association responsible for the inter-municipal cooperation between Vienna and the surrounding municipalities.
I would like to thank him for sharing his time, knowledge and thoughts.
Why was SUM set up?
Because of the fact that Vienna is a municipality and at the same time a provincial state theco-operation on the same level (Vienna with Lower Austria or Vienna with the surroundingcommunes) especially with the surrounding communes is difficult.Vienna and the communes of Lower Austria do not have a common inter-communalplanning body because of political reasons, economic prosperity and rivalry between thecity and the suburban area. Regional planning and planning between the city of Vienna andthe municipalities of Lower Austria were mainly based on singular projects
Who ‘owns’ SUM?
SUM is an association founded by the City/Land of Vienna and the Nieder Österreich Land.How did you define your territory?At the beginning territory was only the immediate surroundings of Vienna.
Now it has expanded to St. Pölten, Baden, etc as these are the functional areas.
Which stakeholders do you interact with?
SUM speaks with all the institutions that are active on the territory: with the Regions, withthe municipalities, with investors, etc.
Who sets the cooperation priorities? What is your role in the decision making?
SUM has no decision power as such but influences the process because of itscommunication facilitator’s role.Cooperation is project based according to priorities recognised by involved partners.
How is the SUM board structure?
SUM as such is only composed by two people: one responsible for the northern area andone for the southern.What are the planning issues SUM has competences on?SUM works mainly on transport and environment issues and all related two these two mainissues.
What are the planning tools?
There are no tools for the SUM as it is an association, a network that is based on the skills ofthe people composing it. What SUM offers is the facilitation of the communication betweeninstitutions working on the territory.Cooperation is project based.As SUM is initiated by Länder it can support on planning issues that are competence at thislevel, and not on land use for example, which is competence of the municipalities.
What are the funding mechanisms?
SUM receives 200.000 euro per year, 50% by Wien and 50% by NÖ.The funding pays the personelle costs, the meetings-travels and the initiatives-projects.
SUM AND THE BRATISLAVA REGION
What is the relationship between SUM and other initiatives on the territory?BAUM: There is relationship as the SUM South responsible is also involved in the BAUM onbehalf of the NÖ municipalities.CENTROPE: This initiative is well known but uneffective on planning level because there areno competences. For this reason there is no real cooperation Danube Strategy: Same as above. PGÖ: is indispensable at this level, but there is a communication gap, where SUM intervenes.With Hungary cooperation is mainly on commerce basis, not planning.What are the limits and benefits of the current situation (with so many institutions,collaborating only on certain priorities)The limits are there but much has been done in the past years, especially if we consider that the Iron Curtain is still present in the mind of many people and it will take time to go. Already initiatives like SUM and BAUM (although in this case it is still unclear what type of body they are thinking of setting up and if this will survive after the end of the EU funding).
It is likely to think that the next EU funded project will be a cooperation of the wholemetropolitan area involving both Vienna and Bratislava.If there are any, what are the concrete examples of cooperation projects promoted bySUM that have impact on the Vienna-Bratislava RegionRecently a map of the whole bicycle lanes between Vienna and Bratislava are available onthe AnachB portal (http://www.anachb.at/). How can this be as AnachB doesn’t show whatis on the other side of the border?Another project has been around Mödling, to promote strategies that will reduce drivers inthe region. From the Landscape point of view SUM is very involved in the promotion amongmunicipalities of Landschaftskonto initiative (promotion of nature protection in exchange of‘points’, based on the Ökokonto in Germany)A best practice story in the region is the EnergiePark in Bruck an der LeithaWhat are the tools (policies and financial strategies) that allow the implementation ofthese projects?The projects are carried out on expenses of the institutions and investors involved, but SUMfacilitates the communication.
Further information: www.stadt-umland.at
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