GREEN CITIES
Vienna's Supergrätzl – or ‘superneighborhood’ – boasts plenty of green space and no through-traffic
OFQ : What role does Vienna play in international networks and climate conferences? Are there collaborations with organizations based here? TM: Vienna is involved in numerous international networks, such as EUROCITIES, the largest city network at the European level, and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, a global association of cities and municipalities committed to environmental protection and sustainable development. As one of the four headquarters of the United Nations and home to more than 40 international organizations, Vienna naturally also cooperates with the global community. Worth mentioning are, for example, the cooperation with UNIDO for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and of course the partnership with the OPEC Fund for International Development in peace and youth projects.
While population growth is not a strategic goal of the city, it is clear that immigration makes it much easier to deal with the challenges of demographic change, stimulates the economy and makes Vienna more diverse and colorful overall. OFQ : How does Vienna ensure that such growth does not create social tensions in public spaces? TM: Vienna is investing heavily in educational infrastructure, subsidized housing and the upgrading of public spaces. These measures enable equal opportunities, promote social diversity and increase the quality of life in all districts. The city also supports lower- income groups with social services to ensure active participation in urban life. At the same time, there is little evidence of gentrification. OFQ : Are there strategies to avoid increasing social fragmentation between wealthy and socially challenged districts? TM: As I mentioned, it is a special feature and a result of many years of socially sensitive development policy that in Vienna, unlike other cities with populations of more than 1 million, social status is not determined by one’s residential address. Subsidized housing, fair infrastructure development
and citizen participation help tackle segregation while promoting social cohesion. OFQ : Vienna’s social housing is considered an international model. How will this be further developed to remain affordable and attractive in the future? TM: Vienna draws on more than 100 years of subsidized and municipal housing. Nonetheless, strategies and instruments need to be kept up-to-date. One key aspect is the Vienna Housing Fund (Wohnfonds Wien), with its developer competitions that guarantee high quality housing. To safeguard these achievements, a new designation category for subsidized housing was created several years ago, which ensures under public law that housing in Vienna will continue to be created in line with needs and socially appropriate standards. OFQ : What lessons can Vienna learn from other cities – and vice versa? TM: I think Vienna can learn from many cities. Those who stop trying to improve soon fall behind. However, what other cities will likely take from Vienna is its integrated, comprehensive approach, which ranges from consistent social orientation and modern urban planning and architectural solutions to pilot applications in the areas of energy and mobility transition.
Community links: • Digital participation platform: https://mitgestalten.wien.gv.at • Office of Participation: https://mitwirkung.wien.gv.at/mehr-beteiligung
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Illustration: oxygen_8 – stock. adobe.com
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