Climate-friendly and future-oriented solutions for neighbourhoods

WieNeu+ is an urban renewal programme of the City of Vienna. It contributes to climate-friendly and future-oriented solutions for neighbourhoods.

Urban renewal encompasses all aspects that make up life in the built city: buildings, public space, and the people who live there and participate in the processes and projects. The programme is set to run for 10 years and started in early 2021 in the district area of Innerfavoriten. The second project area is located in the neighbouring 2nd and 20th district of Vienna and was launched in early 2023.

Innovative solutions are collected, implemented, researched and made usable for the City of Vienna in the long term. Local residents in particular will be involved. After all, we can only achieve climate goals together with the people.

The focus areas are: 

• Refurbishment & energy, exemplary use of new technologies for climate neutrality. 

• Social neighbourhood, enabling active participation to increase the acceptance of future-oriented solutions.

• Public space, guaranteeing sustainable infrastructure for more quality of life in the city.

• Developing stakeholder partnerships and triggering processes

Creating quality of life in the city. WieNeu+ is part of the redevelopment campaign "Wir SAN Wien" (We are/refurbish Vienna). The campaign was launched in 2020 by Deputy Mayor Kathrin Gaál to ensure that the successful soft urban renewal programme also meets the challenges of the future.

• Download Activity Report 2021

Together, we create sustainable, resource-saving, climate-resilient housing and living conditions also for future generations by improving the building stock, adapting the infrastructure, upgrading public space and the residential environment, and making mobility and energy fit for the future.

The urban renewal programme WieNeu+ started in 2021 in the district of Favoriten, in particular in the area of Innerfavoriten.

The project area includes the neighbourhood between Landgutgasse and Inzersdorfer Straße as well as between Triester Straße and Laxenburger Straße. Around 35,000 people live there.

With WieNeu+, innovative solutions are being tested in Innerfavoriten as pilot projects that will serve as role models for the entire city. At the same time, the district as a whole is being upgraded to make it fit for existing and future challenges.

In order for the City of Vienna to achieve its climate goals, WieNeu+ tries out innovative solutions, which, if successful, can be extended to the entire city.

Together with local partners and the local population, new technical or social solutions are implemented in selected neighbourhoods.

To achieve this, it is important to consider buildings, blocks of houses and neighbourhoods as a whole. In addition to innovative housing renovation and energy solutions, measures in the residential environment and public space as well as initiatives and ideas from residents and local businesses play an important role.

A separate budget earmarked for small local projects, termed “neighbourhood money” (“Grätzlmarie”), is available for residents. .

WieNeu+ also supports owners who want to implement innovative solutions for future-oriented and climate-friendly buildings. This is implemented via the second funding channel, called the “neighbourhood subsidy” (“Grätzlförderung”).

Motto: Triggering processes by setting themes and networking

WieNeu+ aims to set the strategic course in urban renewal. By introducing new or topical issues, WieNeu+ also triggers processes among partners. WieNeu+ supports this dynamic by networking with all local partners who are relevant for the implementation. This often results in further follow-up projects. Sometimes concrete project results are only realised in the neighbourhood after the WieNeu+ programme period.

We implement innovative flagship projects that are easily replicable and contribute to achieving the smart city goals of the City of Vienna.

The “neighbourhood subsidy” (“Grätzlförderung”) focuses on fresh solutions for future-oriented and climate-friendly building stock. It is used to support projects that reduce energy consumption, rely on solar and geothermal power, reduce a building's resource consumption (circular economy) or seek new solutions for greening and climate change adaptation.

Become a partner

In addition to financial support, WieNeu+ also supports interested owners, developers, etc. in other ways: 

• Networking with experts and urban partners to develop and implement new solutions.

• Providing support in finding start-up financing for innovative solutions, e.g. EU or national subsidies

• Communicating with tenants, for example with the help of the Local Urban Renewal Office (“GB*”).

• Scaling tested solutions within the framework of knowledge and innovation management

• Monitoring and measuring the impact of implemented solutions

• Public relations to make the projects highly visible

Project partners

The impact of individual WieNeu+ measures will be investigated to find out what they actually contribute to the climate goals of the City of Vienna. The findings are to be made available to as many actors as possible in the city, the business community and the population.

Studies and research

WieNeu+ supports research projects and theses. Please feel free to contact us with suggestions for topics.

Urban Renewal Campaign “Wir SAN Wien”

The framework of WieNeu+ is provided by the urban renewal campaign “Wir SAN Wien” (We are/refurbish Vienna), which includes many projects in the field of smart solutions for the urban living space of the 21st century. This specific area is one of the key topics of the VIENNA 2030 strategy.