What is a building site? (Author: Karin Rezar) A building site is an area of land that can be built on and is recognised as such by an authority. Depending on which federal state you are in, there are different procedures according to which a building site is created and different characteristics that a building site must fulfil. 3 types of buildable areas must be distinguished according to the Vienna Building Code. These are named and defined differently depending on the zoning on which they are based. - Building site- Building lot - Allotment garden A building site is an area that can be built on. Excluded from this is the building site in garden settlement areas, which are authorised as such with an official decision (MA 64, MA 37). A building plot in a garden settlement area is referred to as a building lot. If you want to erect a building in a residential area, mixed building area or industrial area, you need an authorised building plot. If a building plot does not yet exist, it must be created before the building permit is issued. If land divisions are required, for example if land is to be transferred to the public domain, their authorisation is a prerequisite for the building permit. Furthermore, every building site on which a building is to be erected must have a supply of safe drinking water. The disposal of waste water must also be ensured. As in Vienna, a building site can also be created in Vorarlberg or Carinthia, for example, as part of the building permit procedure. In Lower Austria and Upper Austria, a separate procedure is used to decide whether a plot of land is suitable as a building site. There are many differences in the nature of building plots. In Vienna, it is possible for a building site to extend over several plots. This is not the case in Lower Austria. The only requirement for a building plot to extend over several plots in Vienna is that the plots are located in a single deposit number. On the other hand, it is permissible in Lower Austria to create so-called "servitude building plots". These are building plots in building land that do not have direct access to a public transport area. The prerequisite for the creation of such a building plot is a right of way and pipeline secured in the land register. In Vienna, on the other hand, building plots must be connected directly or via a flag to a public transport area. Even though each federal state has its own peculiarities and follows its own regulations, harmonisation would simplify planning and construction as well as create a greater understanding of the building regulations among building applicants.