“The basis of all our activities is that no one should be left behind”

Vienna, home of the OPEC Fund since the late 1970s, consistently ranks among the cities in the world with the highest quality of life. This is no coincidence, but the result of hard and continuous work, explains the city’s Director of Urban Planning, Thomas Madreiter. Key for successful urban development is a consultative process that actively involves the population and makes creating – and maintaining – a livable city a joint effort. 

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. 

OPEC Fund Quarterly: What measures is Vienna taking to become a climate-neutral city – especially in terms of urban development? 

Thomas Madreiter: Under the motto “Courage for the city”, Vienna has long been committed to urban development that protects the soil and thus the environment and climate with high-quality density. The result is a livable city with short distances, allowing people to experience urban diversity over a short distance. This is supported by a mobility policy that promotes environmentally friendly mobility – consisting of walking, cycling and public transport. 

OFQ: Climate protection, climate change adaptation and increasingly biodiversity are the focus worldwide. Why is Vienna focusing instead on the circular economy as the third pillar of its strategy? What role does it play in climate-neutral and resilient urban development? 

TM: Vienna is already an international leader in climate protection, climate adaptation and resilience. When it comes to resilience, just think of the high-altitude spring water flowing to Vienna via natural gradients, or Vienna’s far-sighted flood protection measures. On the one hand, the circular economy is not in conflict with climate 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”? 

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- 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 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. 

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). 

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. 

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. 

Community links:

• Digital participation platform: https://mitgestalten.wien.gv.at
• Office of Participation: https://mitwirkung.wien.gv.at/mehr-beteiligung