Vienna, the inclusive city
Vienna winning the "Access City Award 2025" is the most recent example of the city's internationally outstanding initiatives. The award, which is organized by the European Commission and the European Disability Association, celebrates the best measures relating to accessibility. Vienna emerged victorious from the 57 cities that entered the award.
From the subway to swimming pools
There are good reasons for Vienna's success: for instance, all subway stations and 95% of bus and tram stops in Vienna are barrier-free. Tactile guidance systems and the use of low-floor vehicles also ensure ease for people with reduced mobility. The EU Commission also praised Vienna's accessible swimming pools and the intelligent traffic light system. But it's about more than just structural barriers. The award judges also highlighted the promotion of integration in housing and employment as particularly accessible and inclusive - which are important foundations for peaceful coexistence and a fair society.
Removing structural barriers
All of this is no coincidence: topics such as integration and diversity are firmly anchored in Vienna's administrative system. The Municipal Department 17 "Integration and Diversity", which was created in 2004, is responsible for developing and furthering the city of Vienna's policy on integration and diversity. Its remit includes raising awareness of migration and immigration, as well as increasing cultural sensitivity and identifying and removing barriers to access of all kinds.
In practice, this means sharing knowledge with departments and organizations of the city of Vienna in order to create a platform for additional projects and accompanying measures relating to integration. The aim is to strengthen intercultural awareness through targeted diversity management.
The priorities in this respect include language acquisition and educational measures for people who are new to Vienna. Vienna's population has been growing rapidly since the turn of the millennium. Vienna is one of the most prosperous cities in Europe. As of 2023, the city once again has over two million inhabitants. A trend that follows on from Vienna’s boom in the 19th century.
A traditionally diverse city
Vienna is traditionally a cultural melting pot that brings together the most varied ethnicities, religions and world views. This dates back to the Habsburg monarchy, when migration from the former imperial provinces transformed Vienna into a multicultural metropolis.
People from what is now the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, but also Bosnia, Romania and what is now western Ukraine flocked to the capital of the multi-ethnic empire in the 19th century. In the second half of the 19th century, Vienna became the fifth largest city in the world, offering a diversity of religions, languages and ethnicities to match.
Multi-religious and multi-ethnic
The city on the Danube was home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe. In addition to Catholicism and Protestantism, numerous orthodox movements and people of Islamic faith also rubbed shoulders in Vienna. Around a dozen different languages were part of everyday life at the turn of the 20th century. However, the catastrophe of the First World War and the subsequent collapse of the monarchy brought about an abrupt turning point. Vienna had become the great capital of a small republic that faced many challenges.
The Red Vienna era
In the wake of the First World War, large sections of the population lived in dire conditions. Poverty and, in particular, a dramatic housing shortage dominated the post-war years. It was the birth of the era of Red Vienna, which still strongly characterizes Vienna today.
The election victory of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) in 1919 marked the start of a huge program of reforms aimed at social justice and improving the quality of life for broad sections of society. Between 1919 and 1934, political utopia became a lived reality in Vienna. The reforms in social housing in particular are still regarded as unique anywhere in the world.
Formative housing and education reforms
Some 60,000 urban apartments were built in less than ten years, which are still an important factor in ensuring that the city can provide affordable housing and maintain a social balance today. Far-reaching educational reforms and a broad-based school building program were also among the achievements of this era, which came to an abrupt end in 1934 due to the advent of the Austrofascist corporative state. The seizure of power by the Nazis in 1938 and the ensuing Second World War resulted in severe setbacks that slowed down Vienna's development for decades.
Renewed boom
As the economy boomed in the 1960s and the demand for labor grew, Vienna became increasingly international and diverse. This was also the case at an institutional level: in the 1970s, one of the four United Nations headquarters was established in Vienna. The city has been experiencing a boom since Austria joined the EU in 1995 and especially since the EU’s eastward expansion in 2006. Thus, Vienna experienced a remarkable surge in internationalization. The degree of diversity increased in terms of ethnicity, language and religion. Migration patterns from 2015 onwards have also contributed to this. These developments, as well as the increasing differentiation of society, require appropriate management by the city administration.
Women in the spotlight
There is a strong focus on women in Vienna. Equality is a matter of priority, particularly in the world of work, in order to provide equal opportunities between the sexes. There are numerous initiatives to promote young women and girls and to break down traditional role models.
The topic of women is addressed on many levels in Vienna. With "FEM", there is a dedicated health center for women, parents and girls. It is also important to the city that women feel comfortable and safe in Vienna. Violence, sexism and unequal treatment are not tolerated. Consequently, numerous initiatives and institutions are dedicated to this issue. One example is the Gewaltschutzzentrum Wien (Vienna Violence Protection Center), a state-recognized victim protection facility that offers free and confidential support to victims of violence against women, as well as family violence and stalking. Advice is offered in around ten different languages.
Feminist urban planning
Vienna has been a pioneer in gender-equitable urban planning since the 1990s. This is true for residential buildings as well as park designs and even the naming of public transport facilities. There has always been a strong male dominance when it comes to naming streets in particular. Vienna is breaking down this imbalance.
New public spaces are deliberately named after women. In Seestadt Aspern, for example, one of the largest urban development projects in Europe, streets, parks and squares bear names such as Simone de Beauvoir or Janis Joplin, and a park is named after Pippi Longstocking.
In general, feminist urban planning is very much about avoiding spaces that create fear for women. This includes well-illuminated public spaces, for instance. Dark and complex underground parking garages should not even be planned. Vienna's city administration even has its own office for "everyday and women-friendly planning".
Vienna is the rainbow city
Vienna is internationally recognized as an especially LGBTIQ+-friendly city and is known for its welcoming and tolerant atmosphere. The city sets a strong example for diversity with events such as the Rainbow Parade as part of the Vienna Pride. The City of Vienna supports numerous initiatives of this kind.
One important institution is the WASt, Vienna's anti-discrimination office for LGBTIQ+ issues. This institution offers support to all homosexual, bisexual, transgender and intersex residents of Vienna who are affected by discrimination. The WASt does educational work and raises awareness of the issue. It is also part of the Rainbow Cities Network (RCN). The RCN is committed to protecting and supporting the LGBTIQ+ community in order to promote social inclusion and create sustainable, liveable cities for all. This network also includes cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Geneva, Montreal, Sao Paulo and San Francisco. International rankings praise Vienna for its tolerance, safety and vibrant LGBTIQ+ community, making the city a popular destination for queer people.
Social institutions of every kind
Vienna is also known for its outstanding social facilities. Cape 10 pursues an innovative approach in the healthcare sector. It is a health and social center that supports disadvantaged people and those at risk of poverty. It offers medical care, psychosocial support and a space for health and social projects. Vienna is also home to a number of remarkable social businesses that find creative solutions to social challenges. After all, economic success and social action are not a contradiction in terms.
There is even a hotel, the Magdas, which is run as a social business. This hotel project was initiated by Caritas and offers jobs and training to people with a refugee background. Magdas also operates a canteen kitchen that supplies retirement homes, for example. Recycling projects and a cleaning company are also part of this extraordinary social business.
Vollpension is another social business that aims to do its part to combat social isolation and poverty in old age. Grandmas and grandpas bake and serve delicious cakes in two coffee houses in Vienna. Keynote speeches, a "Buchtelmobil" and activities such as baking sessions and city walks with the elderly members round off what Vollpension offers.
Support for the homeless
VinziRast, which is part of Vienna's Vinzenzgemeinschaft and operates various social facilities, is an important institution for helping the homeless. In addition to the VinziRast emergency shelter, which offers immediate assistance to the homeless, this also includes the VinziRast CortiHaus - a project that provides people who were previously homeless with a permanent place to live again. VinziRast also runs a restaurant in Vienna’s city center and promotes projects that offer people with ongoing asylum procedures a daily routine.
Another initiative focusing on homelessness is Shades Tours, a social business that offers special city tours. These tours are led by people who have themselves been affected by homelessness. The aim of Shades Tours is to raise awareness of the issue, but also to offer those affected by it an opportunity to gain employment and thereby reintegrate into the job market. In addition to the issues of poverty and homelessness, Shades Tours also offers city tours focusing on topics such as addiction and drugs.
Protecting the vulnerable
Climate change demands measures to support the disadvantaged and vulnerable during the hot summer months. People who are suffering from the heat but cannot cool down in their homes can visit one of Vienna's "cool zones". There are twelve different locations spread across the city. There are cool rooms and cold drinks, as well as an area for socializing, Wi-Fi and the necessary infrastructure such as toilets. The initiative was created as part of the Smart Climate City strategy, which focuses on the many challenges associated with climate change.
Inclusion on every level
A particularly important player for the city of Vienna with regard to inclusion is the Fonds Soziales Wien (Vienna Social Fund), or FSW for short. With its "Inclusive Vienna 2030" program, the FSW is defining a long-term strategy for supporting people with disabilities until 2030. The program promotes the empowerment and equal participation of people with disabilities in society. Involvement in decision-making processes is just as important as cooperation with disability organizations and the city administration. The guidelines cover important topics such as children, housing and education, as well as work, counseling, empowerment, participation and leisure activities. After all, the degree of progress of a society is measured not least by the way it treats its socially disadvantaged members.
