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Status: March 2015
Smart City Vienna
Vienna is an exceptionally livable – and smart – city. This has been confirmed time and time
again by organizations such as the respected consultancy firm Mercer, which crowned
Vienna the world’s most livable city for the sixth year in a row in 2015. But it’s not just the
high quality of life on offer in Vienna that makes it such a popular place to visit. Excellent
infrastructure, forward-looking mobility solutions and smart approaches are also behind the
city’s attractiveness to visitors.
Although Vienna is one of the most successful cities on earth when it comes to things like quality of
life, infrastructure and innovation, it is facing a major challenge. Its population is on the rise due to
the combination of an increased birthrate and higher immigration, with numbers set to breach the
two million mark by 2030 (the current population is 1.8 million). This will not be the first time that
Vienna surpasses this particular milestone: in 1910 the Austrian capital was the world’s fifth largest
city after London, New York, Paris and Chicago. But by the end of the First World War, Vienna had
lost around one quarter of its inhabitants.
Over the coming 25 years, experts predict that the greater Vienna area will grow into a conurbation
with a population of some three million, a development which will place heavy demands on the
capital’s infrastructure in terms of energy, accommodation and viable traffic concepts. The city will
also have to contend with a host of global issues such as climate change and scarcity of
resources. To ensure that it is well prepared for the challenges ahead, the city council adopted a
smart city strategy in 2011. The Smart City Vienna initiative aims to improve the design,
development and image of the Austrian capital. It covers all areas of big city living, from
infrastructure and energy, to mobility and urban planning. Intelligent and innovative approaches to
sustainable, future-proof development provided the focus for a full range of areas including
business, human and social capital, mobility, technology and the environment. Vienna’s aim is to
become the Smart Tourism city by 2020. The vision is of a city that uses innovative services and
attractions to create a relaxed urban experience and support positive interaction between residents
and visitors, ushering in a responsible mindset that will help to pursue its sustainability goals
without detracting from its glamourous image.
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Gentle mobility
When it comes to transportation choices, Vienna can point to some impressive results: just 27%
of all journeys in the capital are taken by car, which sets the city apart in a comparison with its
international peers. At 39% the share of all journeys accounted for by public transport also leads
the way. The Viennese complete 26% of their journeys on foot, with the rest are taken by bicycle
(7%) or motorcycle (1%).
Thanks to its compact structure, Vienna is particularly pedestrian friendly. With many attractions
within close walking distance of each other, tourists can easily explore on foot. Its beautiful parks,
such as those lining the Ringstrasse boulevard, are ideal for whiling away the hours surrounded by
greenery. And if fatigue sets in, the nearest subway, tram, or bus stop is never far away. Vienna
has declared 2015 the Year of Walking with information events and promotions for people to
discover the benefits of this sustainable method of transportation. The year will also see the
release of the first official footpath map, and an app with pedometer and route finder.
Vienna has an excellent public transportation network that runs for more than 1,000 kilometers
(five subway lines, 29 tram lines, 145 bus routes and S-Bahn commuter railways). In 2014 the
system carried around 931 million passengers, up 3.5% on a year earlier. All subway stations offer
step-free access; with its fleet of low-ride buses and trams, network operator Wiener Linien plays a
pioneering role in accessible public transportation. The electric buses in use in the historic old town
lead the way and have attracted international attention when it comes to energy-efficient public
transportation. Wiener Linien is also pushing the pace of technological integration and
development, with its multi-award winning smartphone app qando letting mobile users know when
the next tram, bus or subway is coming. Real-time displays, integrated timetable information and
delay notifications make it easy for people to get around by public transport.
Wiener Linien, Wiener Stadtwerke and Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) use Smile (Smart Mobility
Info and Ticketing System Leading the Way for Effective E-Mobility Services) to research smart
approaches to mobility. A smartphone-based mobility assistant suggests which mode of transport
to use, taking individual preferences and criteria into account. Whether the user is traveling by
bike, tram, bus, subway, S-Bahn or electric car, transport and tickets can be paid for using the app.
Smile is the prototype for an nationwide multi-mode mobility platform, which will bring together all
public and private transport services.
More than 1,200 kilometers of environment-friendly cycle paths, bike lanes and cycling routes
await discovery in Vienna, with the Citybike scheme among the options for pedal power. Found in
120 docking stations dotted around the city, the 1,500 Citybikes can also be used by visitors. The
first hour is free, with a nominal fee for each additional hour. Anyone looking to let someone else
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take on all the hard work should hail a Faxi (a portmanteau of the German words for bicycle and
taxi) The three-wheeled rickshaws can accommodate two passengers. Vienna’s taxi fleet also
offers smart alternatives. At present there are around 350 eco-friendly green taxis in the capital –
a ride aboard these hybrid, gas or electricity powered alternatives costs exactly the same as a
standard taxi.
Green capital
Vienna is one of the greenest capitals in the world – around half of the city’s area is covered by
green space. According to the latest urban development plan, all of Vienna’s green spaces are to
be linked up so that they can be reached in just three minutes on foot from any point in the city.
Vienna has over 850 public parks and gardens. The Danube Island is one of the most popular
recreation areas, with over 42 kilometers of beaches within the city. And with the Danube Canal,
the Alte Donau and Neue Donau, and the Lobau – part of the Donau-Auen national park – there
are countless different ways to get close to and enjoy the water. The quality of Vienna’s water is
also exceptional for a large city: 95% of the drinking water comes from natural springs in Lower
Austrian-Styrian Alps.
More and more projects to integrate nature into the urban fabric are springing up. These include
initiatives for green space integration, revitalizing natural water courses, rainwater management,
and greening tram routes and building facades. Plans for urban development areas and large
construction projects also prioritize the incorporation of efficient structures that are as close to
nature as possible. In such cases, communal open and green spaces are just as important as
good access to public transport and local amenities. The Vienna Environmental Report includes
examples of completed developments including smart city projects, facade greening and initiatives
to counteract the urban heat island effect.
Creativity and quality of life
Vienna occupies leading places in all of the rankings that assess quality of life. Mercer’s 2015
Quality of Living Survey placed Vienna first for the sixth year running, while the respected
forecasters and researchers of the Economist Intelligence Unit put Vienna in second place in 2014,
behind Melbourne. According to the United Nations’ State of the World’s Cities 2012/2013 report,
Vienna is the most successful and prosperous city in the world because of its levels of social and
environmental sustainability as well as its productivity.
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The quality and cost of living also make the Austrian capital one of the world’s most popular
destinations for students. With eighteen universities, Vienna is home to 180,000 students – the
largest number of any university town in the German-speaking world.
Vienna is also an ideal environment for creative types. Online portal Tech Cocktail (http://tech.co)
voted the city number six in its 2015 list of the top ten start-up cities worldwide. Its central location
in Europe, serial entrepreneurs, investors and – in comparison with other hubs like London – lowcost co-working spaces mean that Vienna has an ideal start-up ecosystem, according to the portal.
The start-up scene is very active, and Vienna organizes Central Europe’s biggest Start-up event,
the Pioneers Festival, which attracted 3,000 participants in 2014.
Smart Viennese projects
Smart technologies make life in the city easier and better, bringing benefits to visitors as well as
residents. The availability of free wireless internet access, mobile websites and apps is another
way in which Vienna is a smart city. Free wireless internet access can be enjoyed in many of the
capital’s public spaces – including at the Tourist Info on Albertinaplatz, on Rathausplatz, on
Stephansplatz, in the MuseumsQuartier, on the Naschmarkt, in the Prater park, on the Danube
Island, on the Westbahnhof train station concourse and at countless hotels, cafés and bars.
Vienna Tourist Board’s website www.vienna.info is available in a responsive design since
January 2015. The website automatically adapts to all devices and screen sizes - function, design
and content adapt to the particular screen resolution of the desktop, tablet or smartphone being
used. The city map with the "Around me" function and mobile transport timetable make the website
the ideal city guide. Numerous other useful smartphone apps are available from various
providers, helping visitors plan their trip and make their way around the capital. Users can choose
form a range of travel guides and trip planning tools such as TripAdvisor, Tripwolf and others.
Many apps offer excellent ways to get the inside track on sights and cultural highlights before
arriving, or discover the capital’s bars, cafés, restaurants and shops, many of which have their own
apps. The Vienna State Opera has proved that culture and smart technology aren’t mutually
exclusive, but complement each other perfectly. Opera fans all over the world can watch highquality live broadcasts of around 45 opera and ballet performances via the Vienna State Opera live
at home online service.
The City of Vienna initiated a climate protection program in 1999. Its current target is to reach a
21% reduction in per capita emissions of greenhouse gases by 2021 in comparison to 1990 levels.
A raft of measures is being implemented to achieve this, including continuous expansion of district
heating, subsidies for energy efficient renovation, and extending the public transportation network.
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Building green power generation capacity is not always an option in a city where 80% of the
population lives in rented accommodation. Nevertheless, the Viennese do have an opportunity to
get actively involved in providing renewable energy for the city. By buying a whole or half of a solar
panel (for €950 or €475, respectively), residents can help fund one of the citizens’ solar power
stations and receive a 3.1% annual return on their investment. The operator buys the solar panels
back at the end of their useful lives and citizens have their investment returned in full. Ten such
power stations have been opened in Vienna since 2012, and due to demand further projects are
planned. This successful model brings a number of benefits. Electricity is produced in proximity to
consumers, transmission losses are minimized and dependency on energy imports is reduced.
One of the most ambitious smart city projects is a development in the 22nd district called aspern –
Vienna’s Urban Lakeside. Driven by aware and responsible use of resources, a settlement for the
21st century is taking shape over an area covering 240 hectares. High quality living space for
around 20,000 residents – and an equivalent number of workplaces – will be constructed in stages
leading up to completion in 2028. The new neighborhood was integrated into the public transport
network even before the first residents moved in when an extension to the U2 subway was
completed. This part of the city is also home to a new research institute, Aspern Smart City
Research (ASCR), which will focus on the theme of energy efficiency, using real buildings in the
area. The HoHo Wien, also in Aspern, will be the world’s only 24-story high rise constructed from
wood, standing 84 meters tall when it is finished in 2018. Meanwhile, in the 23rd district a new
residential development featuring one of the biggest urban gardening projects on the planet is
set to be completed in 2017. Each apartment will have a loggia balcony including a water
connection and a trellis, and the community garden on the roof will be open to all residents.
At Vienna’s new Hauptbahnhof central station, a hotel fit for the future has been built in
collaboration with the Stuttgart-based Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (Fraunhofer
IAO). Opened in April 2015, Hotel Schani Wien combines Viennese charm with modern
technology. It boasts a range of smart solutions – for reservations, mobile check-in and check-out,
in the rooms and in the lobby – and is also the first hotel in the capital to offer co-working spaces.
Info:
Mercer Quality of Living Rankings, www.imercer.com/content/quality-of-living.aspx
Smart City Vienna, https://smartcity.wien.gv.at
Vienna Tourism Strategy 2020, www.tourismusstrategie2020.wien.info
Year of Walking 2015, www.wienzufuss.at
Wiener Linien public transportation, www.wienerlinien.at/en
Smile, http://smile-einfachmobil.at
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Citybike, www.citybikewien.at
Faxi – bike taxis, www.faxi.at
Green Taxi, www.taxi40100.at
Pioneers Festival, http://pioneers.io
Free wireless internet, https://www.freewave.at/hotspots, www.wlanmap.com,
www.wien.gv.at/ikt/egov/wlan
Vienna Tourist Board, www.vienna.info
Vienna State Opera live at home, www.staatsoperlive.com
Citizen’s solar power stations, www.buergerkraftwerke.at
aspern – Vienna’s Urban Lakeside, 1220 Vienna, www.aspern-seestadt.at
Aspern Smart City Research (ASCR), www.ascr.at
HoHo Wien, www.hoho-wien.at
Hotel Schani Wien, Karl-Popper-Strasse 22, 1100 Vienna, www.hotelschani.com
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