GREEN CITIES
Thomas Madreiter
Thomas Madreiter, born in 1967 in Radstadt, Salzburg, studied spatial planning at Vienna University of Technology and has worked for the Vienna City Council since 1995, initially as a planning officer in the zoning department, then in architecture and urban design and in finance, economics. After a period in the business group Finance, Economic Policy and Wiener Stadtwerke (public utilities) he headed the department for urban development and set up the business group
energy planning before becoming Director of Urban Planning in 2013. An enthusiastic runner, he runs home every evening after work over a distance of 12.5 kilometers. “It took me a while to figure out the logistics,” he says.
Photo(inset): WU Vienna
protection, climate change adaptation and biodiversity, but on the other hand, it is a globally underestimated topic given our massive resource consumption worldwide. Vienna is also trying to demonstrate how resource conservation and the circular economy can be reconciled with the highest quality of life. OFQ : With rising temperatures and extreme weather events, climate adaptation is becoming increasingly important. What concrete measures is Vienna taking to reduce urban “heat islands”?
Parks and the Wiener Wäldchen aim to create new green highlights, especially in the densely populated city. In addition, numerous new large parks are being built as part of the urban development. Vienna is intensifying its green space initiative and plans to redesign or “green” around 400,000 square meters of space by the end of 2025. To date, 93 projects totaling 93,000 square meters have been redesigned and 14 new green spaces totaling over 150,000 square
Area planned/redesigned for greening by end of 2025: 400,000m2
Number of new green spaces: 14
Number of redesign projects: 93
TM: Vienna is currently investing in even greater greening of the city. In the latest government (2020-25), Vienna set itself the goal of planting 25,000 new trees. Initiatives such as Supergrätzl , Pocket-
Area of new Biodiversity Park: 110,000m2
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