StadtKlimaVISION - Preparing an urban innovation laboratory for climate-neutral urban planning: It's starting in Linz!

Cities such as Linz, the capital of Upper Austria, are an ideal example of the strong linkages between the topics energy, transport, buildings and industry showing their great need for holistic solutions. Measures and solutions are urgently needed, because cities are the key actors for climate protection and climate change adaptation due to their high energy consumption and emissions. The EU's Horizon Europe Framework Program (2021-2027) refers in one of its five missions specifically to cities: under the title "100 climate-neutral cities by 2030 - by and for Citizens", projects are funded in which the Commission's target of "general" climate neutrality in 2050 is to be implemented exemplarily as early as 2030.  Likewise, the European climate law enacted in 2021, which makes the goal of Union-wide greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 binding, will be considered in the amendment of the Austrian Climate Protection Act.

The City of Linz is the third largest city in Austria and a good model for many Central European cities in terms of its climate as well as economic and socio-economic development. With numerous measures implemented (e.g. resolution of a climate strategy with sustainability declaration, urban climate analysis, etc.), Linz is already taking a pioneering role and has the ambition to become a European Green Capital. The prerequisites for this transformation are good, but still associated with a number of challenges that need to be identified and addressed in a solution-oriented manner.
The exploratory project StadtKlimaVISION focused on the path towards climate change adaptation and climate neutrality. Originally, the project was designed to prepare for an innovation lab. After the funding conditions were changed, the project was used to lay the groundwork for informed decision making that engages policy, business and society and supports urban planning in implementing the energy and climate transition.

StadtKlimaVISION aimed at finding suitable transformation paths in cooperation with relevant stakeholders that meet the requirements of the individual interest groups as well as the goal of climate change in the city. For this purpose, a scientific-analytical approach was applied where data on the energy landscape and the necessary transformation of the energy system were compiled. Additionally, an intensive stakeholder process was set up. Both processes ran in parallel and were interlinked: the need for action was picked up from the interviews and workshops and incorporated into the data analysis and KPI development. At the same time, the results of the analysis were fed into the stakeholder process and were able to show the status quo based on data.

The following results could be achieved:

1. the technical-scientific basis was provided and key issues for a climate and energy transition were identified;
2. best practice initiatives were researched and conclusions were drawn for Linz;
3. a stakeholder network was established in workshops, focus groups and summer meetings and a common vision was developed in cooperation with all stakeholders;
4. urban planning instruments were examined, discussed in terms of their climate effective-ness and the need for action was identified;
5. recommendations for a governance concept and for climate-neutral neighborhoods were derived.

StadtKlimaVISION showed how the transformation of the existing energy system could look like. If the city of Linz wants to become climate-neutral and to make its contribution to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, the urban emission curve must decrease significantly in the coming years. In addition to the decarbonization of industry, the greatest challenges lie in the building and transportation sectors. Thus, an increasing electrification of the energy supply will take place, caused in particular by electric mobility and the use of heat pumps. Energy will increasingly be supplied from decentralized and volatile feed-in plants, and the relevance of storage solutions and load balancing will therefore increase significantly to consume the energy where it is generated.
In addition to a technical transformation in the energy and mobility sectors, a rethinking in politics, planning and society is also needed to promote the socioeconomic transition. A transformation is therefore needed at all levels. This will not be accomplished in the short term, nor by itself. Dedicated responsibilities and human resources are needed to manage and accelerate this process.

For the targeted implementation of measures towards a climate-neutral city, a well-established climate governance is needed. For establishing climate governance in the city of Linz, adequate framework conditions must be created. Recently, a city climate coordinator and a city climatologist have been hired at the Municipality of Linz, and strong political signals have been sent in the direction of climate change adaptation and climate neutrality (e.g. 1st Climate Strategy for Linz, preparation of a city climate analysis, development of a climate change adaptation concept, start of the development of a climate neutrality concept). In the near future, there will be a need for action to examine the effectiveness of municipal climate policy and the goals that have been set.

Since a transformation takes place gradually, climate-neutral neighborhoods are a good way to lead the way with lighthouse projects and create model neighborhoods. In doing so, attention must be paid to different user needs and requirements as well as to interactions between the sectors. For this, the city administration needs a solid data basis with regard to buildings, energy, mobility and urban climatology and other climate-relevant parameters. In the planning process, the relevant technical expertise must be anchored in the administration and in companies close to the city, and it must be interconnected in an interdisciplinary manner. The transformation of Linz into a climate city and the design of climate-neutral neighborhoods are already well underway. In the future, it will be important to see whether Linz is willing to place climate change at the center of political action and to consistently and seriously press ahead with further development in the direction of climate change adaptation and climate protection.

Project management

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH

Project or cooperation partners

• City of Linz Environmental Management
• Smart City Consulting GmbH

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
Tanja Tötzer
Giefinggasse 2
A-1210 Vienna
Tel.: +43 (505) 50-4548
Mobil: +43 (664) 825 10 02
E-mail: tanja.toetzer@ait.ac.at
Web: www.ait.ac.at