Great effect around the new university in Linz! A report from the State Planning Directorate analyzed the planned location for the digital university in a letter. Now a new location must be found. What remains are costs and damage to the image of the city of Linz.
“The planned construction project would have serious negative consequences and contradict sustainable urban development, especially when it comes to nature conservation and the climate in Linz,” this sentence does not come from the opponents of the planned location in Linz-Auhof, but from the state of Upper Austria. And it is a resounding slap in the face of Linz city politics.
The report also warns of the dangers of slope water, blocking cold air flows and a huge increase in traffic. It recommends finding a replacement location. The city immediately stopped the planned rezoning, Dietmar Prammer (deputy mayor) had to announce in a hastily convened press conference on Monday morning.
Prammer pulls the emergency brake
“According to the state report, I am pulling the emergency brake on the project and will not allow the site to be converted into building land,” the deputy mayor said. “There is no doubt that climate change is caused by us humans. This results in a huge negative impact on our quality of life – also in Linz – which we increasingly feel with hot summers and flood disasters,” says Prammer, who emphasizes that he is aware of “how much passion and work many people” put into this location already flowed.
What’s next?
According to Prammer, Linz still wants the digital university: “We now have to quickly find a better location.” One of the locations mentioned again and again is the Postal City near the central station. Prammer has already contacted the owners’ representatives: “Post City is ready to talk. What is needed now is rapid, joint action by the city of Linz, the state of Upper Austria and the federal government to pave the way for this or another location.”
Cheers from opponents of the venue
“We succeeded: the green belt has been saved. This is a historic day on which nature, the climate and Linz are the big winners. My thanks go to the citizens’ initiative, the many people involved who have worked tirelessly for months to preserve the green belt. Although the facts were on the table from the start, the SPÖ and ÖVP have continued to concretize the matter to this day,” explains Groen municipal councilor Eva Schobesberger. Post-Ciy is also the ideal location for them. “There is sufficient space here to establish the new university and business locations on an already closed site. “In addition, this location would significantly revitalize the city center and could not be better connected to the public transport network,” she said.
FPÖ city councilor Michael Raml emphasizes that his party has always “opposed these monstrous redevelopment plans” and also complains about the idea of the Plus City alternative location for the FPÖ. For Raml it is clear: “The repurposing freeze must also apply after the mayoral elections.”
“Every location has its advantages”
Deputy Mayor Martin Hajart emphasizes: “The new digital university is an extremely important location factor for Linz. Our economy needs specialists in the IT sector who must be trained by us. Every location in Linz has its advantages: the one near the JKU, the direct connection between the two universities, the one near the train station, the good transport connections. The most important thing is that IT:U is not buried in Linz.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
