smart city Wien
Vienna intends to assume a leading role in European research and technology development. The basic structure of the project is constituted by three forms in which the “smart” future for energy and climate protection and Vienna is closely linked with the urban development plan in a broad process involving stakeholders.
Initial situation
Vienna is a leader for the quality of urban life and in recent decades has assumed a role as an international trailblazer in the field of environmental quality and the quality of life. One expression of these continued efforts is the leading position that Vienna has taken in recent years in the Mercer Quality of Living Survey comparing cities internationally.
However, the challenges of the global energy and climate situation also demand the ongoing engagement of Vienna for developing technologies and systems as an answer to the urgent questions of the future. The combination of strong regional economic vitality, superior knowledge capital and a concentration of cutting edge technologies has predestined of the city to become a testing ground for future ways of business and lifestyles which are particularly compatible with the environment and the principles of climate protection. Thus Vienna continually strives to provide for the future of the city in its programs and plans to better satisfy the needs of its residents.
Vienna also has great potential as a place of science and technology. This has led the city to define its areas of strength in research. Geographical conditions have resulted in research emphases in the fields of mobility and infrastructure. But numerous innovative environmental technologies are also developed in Vienna and further development of integrative renewable energy technologies is actively supported.
Vision developed for 2050
- Greenhouse gas emissions will be at less than 20% of their level in 1990
- Only 15% of distances will be traveled with private motorized transportation
- Public spaces will be fully reclaimed
- Buildings in Vienna will consume no more energy than they produce in the balance
- The share of renewable energy in the Vienna Metropolitan area will exceed 50%
- The per capita energy consumption will have fallen by more than half since 2005
- A significant change in social behavior will have taken place to achieve mindful, environmentally friendly use of resources
- Vienna has established itself as a leader in Smart City technology and assumed a top position in research and production development.
Action plan developed
The action plan has a total of 10 packages of measures, which fall primarily in the following areas:
- Resident participation
- Urban modernization
- Promotion of renewable energy sources in the city
- Land use planning for energy and energy networks
- New mobility concepts and area management for transportation
Outlook
The enormous human capital available in Vienna is best leveraged by a comprehensive process of mobilization in business, research and administration and particularly in the population.
The experience of the Vienna Smart City project has shown that large industrial and research institutions are also partners in financial respects and intend to assume this role even more in the future. The primary objective here is to develop new solutions and technologies jointly with the city of Vienna and to implement showcase and pilot projects. In 2012, a platform event was initiated to be held at least twice a year for business, administration and research to optimize networking.
A particular advantage of the Vienna Smart City project is its emphasis on spatial urban development with the objectives of greater energy efficiency and improved climate protection. Thus the Vienna Smart City process, the vision of the future developed from it for energy management and climate protection in Vienna, and the associated test projects stand for the definition of a new, intelligent path of development for Vienna which is closely connected to the creation of the new urban development plan.