EVERLEGAL on a study visit to Vienna: how ESG is integrated into the planning of an entire urban district
EVERLEGAL on a study visit to Vienna: how ESG is integrated into the planning of an entire urban district
On 7–9 July, the Energy Partnership — PAEW Study Tour “ESG-focused Urban Development” took place. The visit was organised by the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World with the support of the Austrian Energy Agency, together with the Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Klima- und Umweltschutz, Regionen und Wasserwirtschaft. Oleksandr Ruzhytskyi, Partner, and Lesia Baginska, Associate, joined the visit on behalf of the EVERLEGAL team.
This visit was valuable not only because Vienna is consistently ranked among the world’s most liveable cities. The Study Tour provided an opportunity to understand which governance decisions, planning approaches and investments have enabled the city to create a system that is fit not only for today, but also for the challenges of the decades ahead. For Ukraine, which is simultaneously rebuilding, modernising and preparing for EU accession, this issue is of particular importance.
Climate as the starting point
According to the agency’s representatives, Vienna is experiencing its hottest summer now, in 2026, and the following summers are likely to be even hotter. That is why urban adaptation to climate change is becoming no less important than reducing emissions. For new buildings, Vienna is already actively implementing highly efficient heating and cooling systems, solar panels and energy storage technologies that allow energy to be used in other seasons. The city has set an ambitious goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2040, and one of the key elements of this strategy is the gradual phase-out of gas boilers, with a transition to heat pumps, geothermal solutions and solar energy.
The study visit included tours to the following innovative locations:
Aspern Seestadt — a district built on the site of a former airfield and Austria’s most sustainable business location. Here, ESG is integrated not into individual projects, but into the very concept of development: implementation began with a vision, strategy and infrastructure, and only then did construction follow. The lawyers were also impressed by the approach to reducing emissions already at the construction stage: maximum use of local materials, recycling of metal from dismantled runways, restrictions on freight transport and additional charges for materials transported from afar. It is particularly illustrative that the metro was built before the district was populated, so that people had a high-quality alternative to cars from day one.
Lesia Baginska shared her impressions after visiting Aspern Seestadt:
“In Seestadt Aspern, they are not simply building a new district. They are designing a way of life for future generations. And this, in my view, is the true philosophy of sustainable urban development.”
The “deeep” geothermal plant — one of the key elements of Vienna’s energy transformation. Producing sustainable energy from the Earth’s depths for the city’s district heating system is the goal of the deeep project.
Renowave Innovation Lab — a laboratory that tests technologies for modernising residential buildings constructed mainly in the middle and second half of the twentieth century. What proved particularly interesting here was not only the technical aspect, but also the economic and legal one. A significant share of such housing belongs to housing associations and is used as social housing; due to low rents, owners cannot recover investments in energy-efficient modernisation and therefore lack sufficient motivation to invest. This is a clear example of the fact that decarbonisation is not only a matter of technology, but also of legislation, economic incentives and public policy.
Areal Aspanggründe / Village im Dritten — a district built on a former railway and infrastructure site, with the “15-minute city” concept implemented. It is a mixed-use neighbourhood where housing, work, education, services and public spaces are located close to one another.
Nordbahnviertel and Alliiertenviertel — these districts are interesting not merely as residential areas, but as two different examples of how Vienna uses affordable housing, a comfortable urban environment, climate modernisation, strong communities and high-quality living conditions as tools for urban development, retaining people and improving quality of life.
Urban mobility: infrastructure is only one third of the solution
A separate meeting was dedicated to urban mobility. Vienna is consistently implementing the “15-minute city” concept, where most everyday needs can be met close to one’s place of residence, while transport policy prioritises pedestrians, public transport and bicycles. The city’s strategic goal is to reduce the share of trips made by private cars to 25%. At the same time, the city representative emphasised an important point: infrastructure alone does not solve the problem. Educational and communication campaigns that change people’s behaviour are no less important, as are proper regulation and a system of incentives from the city authorities. Only a combination of these three components produces real results.
Commenting on the importance of Vienna’s practices, Oleksandr Ruzhytskyi noted:
“Returning to Ukraine, I am once again convinced that sustainable development is much more than ecology. It is high-quality legislation, the right incentives, modern digital tools and long-term public policy. It is this combination that creates comfortable cities that are competitive, energy-efficient and convenient for everyday life.”
For Ukraine, Vienna’s experience is a ready-made model of how reconstruction can become not merely the restoration of what has been destroyed, but a leap towards modern standards. Instead of reproducing old approaches, we have a unique opportunity to embed energy efficiency, climate resilience and the principles of the “15-minute city” into new districts from the very beginning. It is comprehensive planning, rather than individual buildings, that will determine whether rebuilt cities remain comfortable and competitive for decades to come.
We thank the organisers of the Study Tour for the opportunity to learn more about innovative urban development practices that are shaping the future of European cities and Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
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