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Towards climate resilient planning in Vienna. From models to climate services

Figure 1: View to Vienna´s most modern urban district, the “Donaucity”, close to large recreational areas such as the
Danube island and Danube park


Author(s): Tania Totzer, Wolfgang Loibl, Nikolas Neubert, Jurgen Preiss


Abstract / Introduction (download full article at the bottom)

The idea of climate adapted urban planning and design is as old as our cities themselves. The physical pattern of cities frequently reflects, to some degree, their local climate conditions – e.g. narrow, shadowed streets and compact buildings can be found in regions with hot summers and cold winters whereas open designs for optimal air ventilation are typical for damp-warm climate zones. However today, the intersection of rapid urban growth of the last decades and the unprecedented rapidly changing climate conditions, such as increased episodes of heavy rains or longer and hotter heat waves, require that new design solutions have to be added to traditional urban development planning practices. We cannot ignore these new climate and rapid growth events as they increase mortality, cause other public health issues, and can cause large scale economic damage to properties and global value chains. City administrations need to offer their citizens solutions that increase liveability, secure habitats, and provide the assurance of a reliable base for the operation for businesses. Municipalities and their associated public operators also need to secure their investments in public infrastructures, fleets etc.
The city of Vienna, which is famous for its high quality of life and its very comprehensive smart city approach, has become a leader in recognizing the need for, and establishing itself into, a climate resilience urban development. The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) has been assisting the city of Vienna and its development process towards climate resilient planning for over a decade. This paper describes this collaboration, which marks a further effort to make Vienna more sustainable.


Publication: ISOCARP Review 14, pp. 190-205
Year: 2018
Editors: Malgorzata Hanzl, Jim Reilly, Mahak Agrawal
Coordinator: Lucian Perici
Graphic Designer: Ricardo Moura
ISBN: 978-94-90354-53-4

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