Rudolf Bednar Park

The Rudolf-Bednar-Park, situated in the Leopoldstadt district of Vienna, was inaugurated in 2008. It stands as the most extensive park constructed in Vienna since 1974.The park, which bears the name of the district head who served from 1977 to 1984, is situated on a portion of the former Nordbahnhof site. It is located to the north-east of newly constructed residential blocks on Vorgartenstrasse, to the south-east of the recently established Jakov-Lind-Strasse, to the south-west of Campus Gertrude Fröhlich-Sandner, and to the north-west of the newly created Krakauer Strasse.

The park is characterized by the presence of tall metal pillars painted in orange color, and a “tree veil” consisting of 280 trees, predominantly newly planted.The orientation of the tree canopy is determined by the alignment of the previous freight station’s tracks, which were situated in parallel to the adjacent Danube river.The southern section of the park provides recreational amenities for youths, including skating and streetball facilities.The Reed Gardens operate as an extension of the recently renamed Leopoldine-Schlinger-Gasse, which is referred to as the “Radingerstraße axis” in the planning.The zone situated in front of the residential complex “Wohnen am Park” and the district gardens located in the eastern section of the park have been designated for more tranquil activities.

The park’s planning and construction were financed by the European Regional Development Fund, as a component of the EU initiative “Objective 2 Vienna”.

History
The Nordbahnhof area, previously utilized as a freight station with a primary focus on coal supply, held significant importance as Vienna’s primary station until 1918. Over the years, it has transformed into a promising urban area in close proximity to the city center.The region was previously under the ownership of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG. In collaboration with the City of Vienna and the Vienna Housing Fund, the aim was to establish a community with housing facilities for approximately 22,000 inhabitants and employment opportunities for 22,000 individuals by the year 2025.The Rudolf Bednar Park, spanning 3.1 hectares, was designed with the intention of serving as a green space.The dimensions of the facility are equivalent to approximately five standard football fields.The park has been designated with the name of the social democratic district leader of Leopoldstadt, who served from 1977 to 1984.

In 2005, an international planning competition was announced for the green area of Vienna City Gardens (MA 42) with funding from the European Union.The project that emerged as the winner is from Hager Landschaftsarchitektur in Zurich.The jury’s decision was unanimous.The commencement ceremony was held in July of 2007, and subsequently, the park was inaugurated in September of 2008.