Despite the political hiccups

How Vienna is expanding green spaces in the city

The Lobau is home to more than 30 mammal and 100 breeding bird species, eight reptile and 13 amphibian species, around 60 fish species and 800 plant species.

(Bild: APA/ROBERT JAEGER)

The EU renaturation law is on ice and the political wrangling between the federal and state governments continues. But even without binding guidelines, Vienna is vowing to convert more areas in the city to a near-natural state.

The dispute between Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) and Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) over the EU renaturation ordinance is deadlocked. Although Vienna and Carinthia have reversed their position and have intensively advocated movement on the part of the federal states, the blockade of the other seven states remains in place for the time being.

City sees itself as a pioneer
Why the shift in Vienna now? A lot has happened at EU level and many concerns about the original proposal have been dispelled, according to the department of Climate City Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky (SPÖ). The EU member states must submit recovery plans. The federal and state governments (including Vienna) are responsible for developing these plans. The fact is: Vienna is already one of the greenest megacities in the world. Almost 40 percent of the city is protected. The city is already a pioneer in terms of biodiversity.

We in Vienna have long been showing how species and habitat protection works in many areas.

Klimastadtrat Jürgen Czernohorszky (SPÖ)

Bild: Jöchl Martin

13,000 hectares of green - and more to come
In total, around a third of Vienna is green and can be used by everyone - that's almost 13,000 hectares. Many projects have already been and are being implemented in advance, such as the renaturation of the Liesingbach stream, the near-natural grazing of Vienna Woods meadows, the conversion of forestry to near-natural permanent forest management, the creation of dry stone walls and green toad waters or the use of regional seeds.

EU funding was also provided for the renaturation of the Liesingbach stream.

(Bild: Stadt Wien/Wiener Gewässer)

New project announced for June
The "Park of Biodiversity" in the 22nd district was recently unveiled: East of the Hirschstetten bathing pond on an area of 11 hectares - the design will start in summer. But the expansion of green spaces continues. New Vienna Woods and green spaces are planned. The Donaupark, for example, is currently being redesigned, while the Walter-Kuhn-Park in Favoriten is in the final spurt and offers 10,000 square meters of green space.

The Freie Mitte in Leopoldstadt with 93,000 square meters will be completed by 2025. Construction of the Meiereistraße park, also in the 2nd district, will start in 2025. Mayor Ludwig will reportedly present another biodiversity project in mid-June. Whether Austria will agree to the EU renaturation law by then, however, is more than questionable.

Greens see the Vienna River as unused capital
From the point of view of the Vienna Greens, however, the city could do much more. They point out that there have been plans to renaturalize the Wien River from the edge of the city to the Danube Canal for more than 30 years. Only a small part has been implemented so far, criticizes the ecological party. "I'm surprised why more hasn't been done here. The city should dare to do more!", demands city party leader Peter Kraus. Especially in the ongoing climate crisis with increasingly hot summers, it is high time to make the Vienna River a cooler recreational area than it has been up to now.

The Vienna River should become an oasis in the middle of the city. Greening and cooling could support the cold air corridor to the Naschmarkt. The Alsbach could also be brought to the surface, suggests Kraus. Although it is a little more complicated here. Most of it no longer exists in the urban area. It has been integrated into the combined sewer system and flows to the sewage treatment plant together with the municipal wastewater.