Performance record There is a surge of protest with regard to another widespread practice: urban densification. Under this keyword, existing interior courtyard areas that were built on are (almost) filled up. This is justified socio-economically and in terms of urban planning. However, what is often missing is transparent communication. Information is often insufficient for fear of participation equalling with co-determination. Citizens are outraged, and the number of complaints submitted to the AOB increases when urban policy decisions are clearly left to the investors at their own discretion. This applies to the “Heumarkt” project in Vienna as it does to the “Kahrstrasse” high-rise project in Linz. Allegations of unequal treatment are often linked with worry about the urban landscape and orders on preservation of cultural heritage. There is thus a thin line between allegations of corruption and cronyism, above all, when the administration ignores even their own regulations. At the end of the day, the damage is considerable on all levels, as the cases investigated by the AOB show. More self-determination through new legal guardianship law Taking the concerns of the people seriously for many years, processing their complaints in the broadest possible interpretation of responsibility and giving orientation in the labyrinth of the legal world bears fruit. In a carefully and consistently participative reform process in the Federal Ministry of Justice – with involvement of the AOB – a draft for a new legal guardianship law (in future Adult Protection Law) was drawn up and presented. It is intended to promote and safeguard help and self-determination (as opposed to incapacitation) when required. May 2017 will be the starting date of the legislative enforcement. We were successful in implementing our mandate of cooperating with academia in a special way this year. Together with university professor Andrea Berzlanovich from the Medical University of Vienna and Maria Rösslhumer from the Austrian Women’s Shelter Network, I was fortunate to be able to welcome students, listeners and visitors to the opening of an interdisciplinary series of lectures on the topic of “Violence against women” in the AOB. For many, this was a new, i.e. a first and informative encounter with the AOB as an institution for legal protection and a human rights institution. My special thanks go to cooperation partners and all of the speakers. There is no reason not to continue in the next academic year. 32