Village centre development Innervillgraten – sustainable village development in the Alpine region

Village centre development Innervillgraten – a future for an Alpine village centre

With the completion of the final paper on the village centre development in Innervillgraten, a key milestone has been reached for the sustainable development of the village core. The jointly developed process shows how high-quality architecture, open-space planning and participation can create a village centre fit for the future.

A cooperative planning process as the foundation

As part of an intensive participation process, a comprehensive vision for the future was developed together with the municipality of Innervillgraten, local stakeholders, residents and experts in architecture and landscape planning.

Workshops, site analyses and discussions formed the basis for specifically addressing challenges such as traffic, the lack of amenity and underuse in the village centre.

The result is not a rigid concept but a strategic framework for the long-term development of the village centre.

Goal: a lively village centre in the Alpine region

The focus is on transforming a village core dominated by traffic into a lively, identity-forming and sustainable village centre.

Key goals of the village development:

• Strengthening the village square as the social centre

• Priority for pedestrians and encounters over motorised traffic

• Creation of high-quality public spaces that invite people to linger

• Promotion of community, culture and the local economy

• Preservation of the regional building culture and landscape identity

This positions Innervillgraten as a model for sustainable village development in the Alpine region.

A clear spatial strategy: rethinking the squares

A central element of the concept is the linking and strengthening of the most important public spaces:

• Dorfplatz (village square): car-free meeting space and heart of the village

• Kirchplatz (church square): a quiet, identity-forming place for community and culture

• Festplatz (festival square): multifunctional area for events and parking

• Kulturplatz (Widum & pavilion): centre for education, tourism and encounters

In future, this sequence of squares will form a coherent spatial system and improve orientation and usability in the village core.

Reorganising mobility – people before traffic

An essential part of the planning is the reorganisation of traffic and parking:

• Reduction of parking spaces in the immediate village centre

• Concentration of parking at defined locations (e.g. the Festplatz)

• Traffic calming in the village core

• Strengthening of pedestrian areas and places to linger

The aim is a clear priority: public space belongs to people.

Implementation in stages

Implementation is deliberately gradual and flexible:

• Short term: simple measures such as markings, street furniture, planting

• Medium term: redesign of the central squares

• Long term: development of the Kulturplatz and further building measures

This strategy allows realistic implementation in line with the municipality’s resources while at the same time opening up long-term perspectives.

Added value for the municipality and the region

The village centre development creates lasting benefits on several levels:

• Social: strengthening community and meeting spaces

• Spatial: clear structure and greater amenity

• Ecological: planting and climate-resilient open spaces

• Economic: impetus for local businesses and tourism

Innervillgraten thus becomes an exemplary project for future-proof village development in the Alps.