Reclaiming the Transit Artery

Paved ground and double-track tram rails dominate this wide street, completely free of private motor cars. In autumn 1972, following the 'Habitat Old Town' conference, local authorities designated Herrengasse as Graz's very first pedestrian zone. This marked a decisive departure from the 1960s urban planning consensus, which had favoured car-friendly transit routes over pedestrian access. By 1990, Deputy Mayor Erich Edegger and urban planner Heinz Rosmann launched the municipal 'Space for People' (Platz für Menschen) initiative, expanding pedestrian coverage across central squares and prioritizing public transit. Today, the free Altstadtbim tram line runs seamlessly alongside streams of pedestrians. Herrengasse established the spatial policy that transformed a historic traffic corridor into a living public realm, proving that civic design begins by deciding who owns the street.