IMHO, especially housing on the southern strip would massively influence the character of the space.

If you ask people, what makes the space special, you will very often get the answer, that it is the space's openness and breadth.

This impression is especially created by the southern strip, as open space continues also beyond of it: first, the railway (Ringbahn), after that the city highway and after that relatively low-rise industrial buildings.

If you would build on the southern part, this view would be cut off much earlier.

IMHO, if one wants to build housing on the field while keeping its character, one needs to build on the south-west corner - kind of as a continuation of the terminal building - or in the north-east corner.