Vienna, a city of 2 million, is selected to be the most livable city in a survey by The Economist, which considers factors such as stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. The Austrian capital scored a close to a perfect score with 99.1 in its final index with 100.0 in infrastructure. So what is the key to Vienna's success?
WORLD-CLASS PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
Viennese public transport system is affordable, frequent, fast, clean, and efficient. The transportation network is also very well developed. Apart from that, Vienna has made strides in cutting carbon from its transport system. The city facilitated the shift towards sustainable transport by investing in its bus, train, tram, and cycling networks, making using them more accessible and affordable as it lowered the price of an annual public transportation ticket. Moreover, citizens can use an app combining various Viennese mobility providers' offerings, such as bicycle and car-sharing services, so people can easily plan and pay for greener journeys. Also, the government has plans to expand its Park and Ride system, which lets long-distance drivers leave their vehicles in car parks on the city's outskirts to take public transport, by 3,000 spaces by 2024.
ONE OF VIENNA’S KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are utilized to finance, build and operate many different types of transportation infrastructure. Case in point: Wiener Linien, Vienna's public transport operator, receives 700 Million Euros in subsidies from the city and the national government annually. The city administrators persuade commuters to switch to public transport by eliminating free parking throughout the city and use two measures to stem the cost: raising parking fines by 60% since 2012; and a subway tax for employers. On the private organization side, public transport operators are taking action to transform toward sustainable business by providing environmentally-friendly urban mobility for future quality of life in the city. For example, WienMobil stations offer various forms of mobility—from hire cars, scooters, and mopeds to bike storage boxes and bike service.
While the government develops policies to encourage people to change their behavior, the private sector focuses on making infrastructure viable and aligned with the sustainability goal. The case of Vienna shows the significance of collaboration between a government agency and a private-sector company in providing a project that promotes quality of life and transforms the city to be more sustainable. As both the public and private sectors will benefit from the city's greener future, collaborativeness will play a crucial role in enhancing profitable and sustainable businesses.
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