Vienna is launching a large-scale transformation of its urban environment, moving away from conventional street parking in favor of green areas, bike lanes and public spaces. More than 350 projects are already underway across the city. For example, Neuer Markt has been turned into a pedestrian zone, and on one street, 140 parking spaces were replaced by 1.5 km of bicycle lanes.
Since 2022, free on-street parking in Vienna has been abolished, except during nighttime hours and on weekends. Paid parking spaces bring the city 180 million euros a year, and the money goes toward public transport and climate-friendly infrastructure. At the same time, large park-and-ride facilities and an efficient park-and-ride system are being developed, allowing drivers to leave their cars on the outskirts and transfer to public transport.
In addition, the "oasis districts" program gives residents the chance to initiate greening of their neighborhood themselves — all it takes is a collective request. More than 67% of city residents support the initiative. When trees, playgrounds and cafés appear instead of overheated asphalt, the city stops being just a space for movement and becomes a space for life.
