Vienna's Green Social Housing: A Model for Tackling the Housing Crisis and Climate Change?

Vienna offers a compelling model for addressing both the housing crisis and climate change simultaneously. The city leverages its extensive social housing program— encompassing roughly 420,000 units— to implement ambitious climate action. This includes large-scale energy retrofits, renewable energy adoption, and incentivizing climate-friendly designs through competitive bidding processes for developers. The result is affordable, sustainable housing that significantly reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions, providing a valuable lesson for other cities struggling with similar challenges.