2.4 Public space and buildings

The fair distribution and transformation of public space resulting in high atmospheric quality to enjoy by all is at the centre of Vienna’s motto of reducing asphalted surfaces to the max. From 2021 to 2025, the “Lebenswerte Klimamusterstadt” (Liveable Climate Model City) subsidy programme earmarked € 100 million for this goal. As of today, this investment budget has been distributed in its entirety to all municipal districts of Vienna for shade-giving trees, new green spaces, parks, seating areas and water features, comprising around 320 defined projects. The actual construction volume thus triggered is significantly higher than the subsidy budget disbursed.

The City of Vienna increases its subsidies for the greening of buildings and also supports unsealing measures, in particular for inner courtyards. The greening and unsealing of public space according to the sponge city principle allows Vienna to create local recreation islands and makes the metropolis more resilient to extreme weather events. In addition to the Stockholm tree pit system, it will be necessary in the future to roll out further low-threshold, more diverse measures of rainwater management on a large scale and with great efficiency.

The combination of climate protection and climate adaptation measures as well as synergies in planning processes within the scope of municipal bodies are of prime importance for implementation.

The 2023 amendment to the Vienna Building Code entails significant progress for the protection and enlargement of green infrastructure as well as augmented local infiltration through the new ban on introducing rainwater into the sewer. The protection of street trees is improved, and the addition of roof and façade greening is facilitated. The 2024 amendment to the Vienna Tree Protection Act embodied even tighter legal requirements for the protection, maintenance and replacement planting of trees. To achieve a stronger impact on the climate, high-quality replacement trees and longer plant care during the growth stage were made mandatory.

Within the scope of the Vienna Climate Team, more and more people in Vienna enjoy the opportunity to play an active part in shaping their living environment.

Highlights:

• “Lebenswerte Klimamusterstadt” (Liveable Climate Model City) subsidy programme: Subsidies amounting to roughly € 100 million were disbursed to the municipal districts for greening and soil unsealing measures; in total, around 320 redesign projects across all of Vienna were planned

• Greening activities based on the sponge city principle render Vienna more resilient

• Roof and façade greening as well as soil unsealing are simplified due to the amended Building Code for Vienna and a bigger subsidy pool

• The façades of buildings of Wiener Netze and Wiener Linien were greened

• 2024 amendment to the Vienna Tree Protection Act

• The Vienna Climate Team is a participatory format for the design of streets and squares

• Climate-friendly measures are embodied in Vienna’s Thematic Concept for Park Design

• The “COOLing-Fibel” brochure presents an overview of best practices to improve the local climate in Vienna

• Water elements in public space and parks – drinking fountains, play elements with water, spray mists, misting stations