Keep to the fast lane!
Linz09 was responsible for stepping up the speed at which decision-making and other administrative processes unfold in Linz. It did so partly because of its mandate, partly in response to the pressure inherent in the situation, to deadlines and the exposure to public scrutiny on the European stage. It would only be natural to change down a gear or two after the end of Culture Capital Year, to take things easy, to opt for a break in the city’s cultural life. Understandable though this attitude might be, its consequences would be highly undesirable. It is imperative to maintain speed and intensity as much as possible to ensure continuity. The need to husband individual and social potentials must not be used as a pretext to halt necessary development, difficult and unpleasant though they may be, let alone reverse them. And the public, Linzers and Upper Austrians in general, have got used to thinking that Linz is where it’s at – and they should be able to continue thinking that way. It is only a consistently active cultural environment that translates into a locational advantage and into the basis for Linz 2015 as Austria’s most interesting city.back