Vitality Analysis in the Rhine Valley - The X-Minute City in the Context of low to medium settlement density
Project Description
Liechtenstein has the highest level of motorisation in Europe after Andorra (Merki, 2022). On the one hand, this can be attributed to factors such as prosperity, density, and identity. On the other hand, the degree of motorisation depends on the distribution and diversity of everyday amenities, i.e., vitality, in settlement areas. This vitality is partly the result of spatial planning measures and is undergoing a fundamental change due to advancing digitalisation. The research project aims to investigate the vitality of settlement areas and how they change, using the Werdenberg-Liechtenstein agglomeration area as a case study, to identify thresholds for unrestricted mobility choices and measures to influence these thresholds. It builds on the state of research on the x-minute city and ties in with the discussion regarding the necessary shift away from motorised individual transport in the sense of a city of short distances for sustainable settlement development. The aim is to enable evidence-based approaches for the development of integrative and sustainable planning concepts and strategies in the region.
Relevance to Liechtenstein
The goal of the systematic investigation and visualisation of the Werdenberg-Liechtenstein agglomeration area is to find innovative and sustainable answers to the challenges of global developments such as climate change, mobility, responsibility, and digitalisation for the country of Liechtenstein, in terms of the distribution and structure of offers for daily life. This is done through a GIS-based reassessment of vitality and identifying regional development potentials.
Scientific, Economic and Societal Impact
Following the study, it should be possible to develop place-specific options with the acquired data basis and the evaluation model to improve the modal split and thus reduce emissions and resource consumption in a targeted manner. The cartographic visualisations of the Werdenberg-Liechtenstein agglomeration area provide statements about its vitality in terms of daily needs offerings. The exchange with the Office for Geoinformatics and the Building Construction Office serves as an interface to practice.
