The provincial capital St. Pölten has more than 51.700 inhabitants and extends across an area of ca. 108 km²; many branches of the regional public authorities have their seat here, as well as economic enterprises, organizations and associations; it furthermore meets regional central functions for economy, health and social affairs, culture, education (e.g. location for Fachhochschulen/advanced technical colleges), research, innovation, information and communication.

The basis for positive development was a prospective concomitant urban development planning concept for St. Pölten. The objectives for the development of the entire city were specified within the regional urban planning program (1992), based on the new role of the provincial capital of Lower Austria, and the altered political structures during the early 1990s. 

The basis for sustaining a lasting high quality of life is a prospering economy, adequate energy supply, efficient waste management, an environmentaly friendly transport system, as well as humane living and work conditions.

Creating favorable location factors for business and commerce is one of the main priorities, which reflected in a successful growth of employment figures from ca. 32.000 to 42.000 gainfully employed individuals.

625 ha out of the 2.165 ha land intended for building are available as building reserves for further urban development, 405 ha of which are intended for residential use and more than 200 ha for already developed land with commercial and industrial use.

European development with the enlargement of the European Union and the resulting central location of St. Pölten – in the heart of Europe – is one of the emphasized topics.

St. Pölten is to actively assist in forming the new central European economic region Centrope as a perspective for the future. This upcoming economic region comprises parts of East Austria, the Southern Czech Republic, Western Slovakia and Western Hungary. 

Currently a large number of comprehensive projects are under way. The chamber of commerce of Lower Austria is in the process of moving to St. Pölten, where a new provincial headquarters is being established. The governmental district is continuously enlarged, and currently a new financial center of Lower Austria is planned to be erected at the heart of the seat of the provincial government; a commercial centre shall be placed in its immediate vicinity.

North of the main train station, that is to be completely redesigned, a new health center for the Social Insurance Agency of Lower Austria and the Pension and Retirement Agency shall be erected on industrial waste land.

Finally, the City also aims at creating new dwellings annually housing ca. 450 apartments.