Aerial view of Vienna, the world's most liveable city, with St Stephen's Cathedral and the pedestrianised area around it.
Aerial view of Vienna, the world's most liveable city, with St Stephen's Cathedral and the pedestrianised area around it.
What’s the best city in the world? Copenhagen has the least congested roads in Europe (because cycleways and public transport will do that). Paris might be up there too, in the springtime and every other time, but it loses points for the racist police.
Hong Kong is too built outand tragically it’s lost even the trappings of democracy. America has Austin, Texas, except like the rest of the American South it’s being endlessly ravaged by drought, storms and heatwaves.
But oh, Vienna, ranked as the most liveable city in the world, this year, as in eight of the last 10. And no, that ain’t woke nonsense: the rankings are done by the Intelligence Unit of the Economist.
What makes Vienna special? It’s not the museums and music, the Spanish Riding School or all the palaces. Splendid as those tourist attractions are, they are not what make the city so liveable today.
Thanks to immigration, Vienna has grown fast in recent times and now has a population of two million. It’s like Auckland, although unlike Auckland, Vienna has kept on top of the growth with strong investment in health and education and smart housing and mass-transit construction programmes.
Regulations keep much of the housing affordable and high-quality, with very good tenancy protections, and a social-housing focus has attracted some exciting architects.
Shopping in Vienna.
Old-fashioned trams (called Bims) and modern underground and surface light rail are cheap and comprehensive. In 1993, 29 per cent of Viennese workers commuted by public transport. Now, it’s over half. And yes, of course the main shopping and entertainment areas are pedestrianised.
Vienna’s director of planning, Thomas Madreiter, says the focus has been on making the civic administration “robust and effective”, rather than lean.
“It is true that citizens in Vienna and Austria pay significant taxes,” he says. “However, we believe the crucial question is whether our citizens believe the outcome of these investments is worthwhile.”
The quality and scale of public investment have also kept Vienna’s cost of living lower than in most comparable cities in Europe.
Madreiter says the secret of his city’s success lies in public engagement. There’s a “participatory budgeting system” focused on climate action: citizens are invited to share their suggestions for adapting the city to climate risks and reducing emissions. The most viable ideas are then worked up for participants to prioritise.
There’s also a public survey that’s been running for 30 years, guiding the planning in sometimes unexpected ways. “We’ve found that most citizens have a strong understanding of the climate crisis,” says Madreiter. “They recognise the increasing heat in cities and have a desire to see more greenery, trees, safe spaces for children and cooling areas for the elderly.”
It can be easy to miss that if all you’re hearing are the shouty voices.
Cycling in Vienna.
The city works closely with subsidised housing enterprises and has specific engagement programmes for young people.
“The people of Vienna are not seen as clients, customers or consumers, but as citizens,” says Madreiter. “We prioritise their wellbeing and recognise them as active participants in shaping our city’s future.”
Despite all the new construction, half the city is covered in parks and other green spaces. That’s something you can do only if you build densely enough.
Not that Vienna is perfect: it lost points on the index for not having enough major sporting events. Auckland (10th) and Wellington (23rd) both have the edge there.
This is the final instalment of Simon Wilson’s column Design for Living, although he will continue to report on urban design and related issues in the Herald.
Rooftop garden in a social housing complex in Vienna.
Alt-Erlaa social housing in Vienna. Photo / Getty Images
Social housing in Vienna.
Simon Wilson is a senior writer covering politics, the climate crisis, transport, housing, urban design and social issues, with a focus on Auckland. He joined the Herald in 2018.
