dc.description.abstract
The security and defence situation in Europe has changed significantly in recent years. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and shifts in international power relations have brought new defence agendas across Europe. Consequently, European states are reassessing their defence strategies, military capabilities, and long-term infrastructure investments. Austria, despite its constitutional neutrality, non-membership of NATO, and historical role as a bridge between East and West during the Cold War, faces challenges in adapting to this changing security environment. Decades of limited investment in military infrastructure and the disposal of real estate assets have created multiple challenges. In response, increased defence spending and the development of new strategic frameworks seek to address these shortcomings.
Within this context, Austria’s constitutional idea of a Comprehensive National Defence (ULV – Umfassende Landesverteidigung) is particularly important, as it defines security not only as a matter of military defence but also as a broader task of civil, economic, and societal resilience. This is especially relevant in relation to disaster management in times of, where the Austrian Military plays a central role in supporting civil authorities during natural hazards, extreme weather events, and other crisis situations.
While current efforts relate to modernisation of the militaries built environment mainly focus on military performance, operational readiness, security standards, and technological modernisation, very little attention has been paid to the spatial-functional relationships of military infrastructure in relation to settlements, economies, ecosystems, and everyday infrastructures. Barracks, training areas, logistics facilities, and administrative sites are not only strategic assets for defence. They also host workplaces, shape local economies, and influence the everyday lives of military personnel, civilian employees, and people living in proximity to military landscapes. At the same time, military facilities are embedded within diverse spatial contexts, including urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, where they interact directly and indirectly with surrounding territories, revealing place-specific challenges and opportunities. That said, changing military facilities affect their direct and indirect surroundings, as they are never isolated or empty spaces detached from their spatial and territorial context.
Despite the increasing political importance of defence infrastructure, current state-led investment programmes and research agendas largely overlook the relationship between military infrastructure and its socio-spatial, socio-economic, and socio-ecological contexts. This gap limits our understanding of how future defence investments can simultaneously strengthen military capabilities and support resilient territorial, regional, and local spatial planning and design approaches.
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