SPOTL IGHT
Wild things: Biodiversity in the Austrian capital
“A majority of residents in Vienna view urban growth in positive terms.” Thomas Madreiter, Director of Urban Planning, City of Vienna
Vienna’s parks and suburbs host a rich variety of flora and fauna, including:
200 beavers in the Lobau
Photo: MA 18/Christian Fürthner
135 protected species of butterfly
meters have been created, with 80,000 square meters of land being dug up. The new 110,000-square-meter Biodiversity Park exceeds the goals of the initiative and contributes to cooling even in new, densely built-up areas. OFQ : What role do green and blue infrastructure and nature-based solutions play in this? TM: Planting and “greening” is not only visually appealing, but also provides a natural cooling option on hot days through evaporation. Vienna is also taking a consistent approach to expanding its so-called blue infrastructure. Water is set to have a greater role in the city and rivers like the Wienfluss and Liesingbach are being restored to their natural state to better serve the needs of people and nature. OFQ : Climate-friendly urban development requires investment. How are the costs distributed – taking into account the polluter pays principle and social cushioning? TM: The Vienna Smart Climate City Strategy, our umbrella strategy, focuses from the outset on social aspects through the objective dimension of quality of life. This in a way is the core of Vienna’s brand. We don’t believe in the law of the strongest; rather, the basis of all our activities is that no one should be left behind in the course of change. Examples include the famous social housing in Vienna and the very low-
threshold access to public transport. Vienna is committed to being this kind of “strong” city. OFQ : How does the city ensure that climate measures are broadly accepted and do not contribute to social division? TM: Successful transformation cannot happen against society – but only with it, within it and with its own resources – says the German sociologist Armin Nassehi. According to the current edition of the Vienna Quality of Life Study (WLQS), 86 percent of people in Vienna support political measures that encourage business and broader society to protect the climate. However, we know that agreement is higher among people with higher incomes and higher levels of education. Just over 70 percent of people in Vienna (strongly) agree with the statement that they are willing to change their lifestyles to help tackle climate change. However, when answering this question, individual economic performance must also be taken into account (WLQS 2023). Based on many years of in-depth social science research, Vienna also involves people in community activities through a broad range of participatory measures. Examples include the traditional participation processes for urban development projects, our new digital participation platform or the new Office of Participation (see links at the end of the article). Vienna is also this year’s European Capital of Democracy and is currently developing a participatory democracy strategy.
20 species of bat
2,400 types of plant
450 types of wild bee
19 species of fish in the Old Danube
320 nesting sites for kestrels
Source: vien.info
OFQ : Vienna is growing fast, particularly due to immigration. Is this growth wanted and what opportunities and challenges does it bring? TM: It is probably a reflection of Vienna’s high quality of life and attractiveness that so many people want to live here. A majority of residents in Vienna view urban growth in positive terms: “I fundamentally view Vienna as a growing city as positive.” Forty-three percent said very much, 32 percent somewhat, 17 percent somewhat not, 8 percent not at all (WLQS 2023).
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Illustration: oxygen_8 – stock. adobe.com
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