Court Mandates Assessment for Vienna Heumarkt

The Supreme Administrative Court ruled that Michael Tojner's Heumarkt project in Vienna must undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment.

The Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) has rejected an appeal against a ruling requiring a mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (UVP) for the Heumarkt construction project in Vienna. Owned by Michael Tojner's Wertinvest, the project includes high-rise towers at a site encompassing the Hotel Intercontinental, the Eislaufverein, and the Konzerthaus. The court confirmed that negative visual impacts on World Heritage viewpoints necessitate the assessment, regardless of whether Vienna's historic center—on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger since 2017—risks losing its status. This decision follows representation by lawyer Piotr Pyka for the environmental organization Alliance For Nature, including member Christian Schuhböck. The ruling coincides with the World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan, South Korea, as of July 2026.