With the start of the warm season, around 50 employees are now active in Vienna's parks and public spaces, aiming to foster a positive social climate.
As the warm season begins, many Viennese residents head outdoors, utilizing parks and public areas for various activities such as chatting, playing, exercising, walking dogs, or simply enjoying nature. The influx of people with diverse interests can sometimes lead to conflicts. This is where the Fair-Play Teams come in, with the goal of ensuring everyone can feel comfortable in public spaces. They promote fair use of these areas, listen to the needs and concerns of citizens, help manage conflicts, and refer people to social services when necessary.
Currently, about 50 trained staff members work in pairs during the afternoons and evenings, covering public spaces in 15 districts.
"The public space belongs to everyone. The Fair-Play Teams make a valuable contribution to ensuring that all Viennese residents feel comfortable in our parks and public squares and treat each other with respect," says Vice Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr.
Non-violence is a fundamental principle of all activities. Fair-Play Teams assist disadvantaged users of public spaces in expressing and asserting their interests. They support people in making their voices heard.
Finding Good Solutions Together
Fair-Play Teams view conflicts as opportunities for negotiation. They involve all parties in creating solutions through participatory, democracy-promoting methods. This might involve agreeing on shared use of a popular park bench by different groups at different times of the day or relocating a trash can to a more convenient spot. Often, small changes can significantly improve the situation with minimal effort.
"The great strength of the Fair-Play Teams is that they are directly available as contact persons on site in parks and public squares. They also communicate with district authorities, municipal departments, civil society institutions, and social services. This gives them a well-rounded understanding of the needs of a neighborhood and helps them contribute positively to its development," explains Kirsten Popper-Nelvai, project manager in the Department of Education and Youth.
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