The focus: Cities work together for our future!

The focus: Cities work together for our future!

The 74th Austrian City Day, which took place on May 22, 2025, focused on the challenges and opportunities of urban development in the context of climate protection. The event took place in Villach and included several working groups, including the working group "Climate City Development". It was discussed whether the climate and floor savings goals from the EU and the federal government are a restriction or an incentive for urban development. Vice Mayor Sarah Katholnig from Villach emphasized how important it was that everyone involved in climate protection has to be brought on board.

The panel participants included the environmental city councilor Eva Schobesberger from Linz and the head of the traffic section in the BMIMI, Vera Hofbauer. Various urban development measures were addressed in their contributions. Building directors such as Thomas Moraus (Villach) and Bertram Werle (Graz) reported on innovative projects and the significant role of urban development in climate protection. Graz, for example, plans to become CO₂-neutral by 2040, while Moraus emphasized the greening of Villacher Hauptplatz and identified citizen participation as a key factor for success.

strategies and projects for climate protection

Johannes Horak, city climatologist from Linz, presented a long -term tree offensive and an innovative heat plan to reduce extreme nightly temperatures, which are caused by climate change. Wolfgang Hafner, head of the climate and environmental protection department in Klagenfurt, commented on the city's climate neutrality goals and the difficulties that are caused by current budget crises. The participants of the city day agreed that there should be no declining in climate protection, as Hofbauer assured.

The forums were also important for the dialogue in the afternoon, which dealt with the "energy transition" and innovative financing options for municipal projects. The role that smaller cities can play was emphasized by Nicole Kirchberger, head of department in the climate and energy funds, which encouraged to participate in funding programs.

meaning of local measures

The discussion on the city day was a concrete step towards the national climate goals, which are characterized by international agreements such as the Paris climate protection conference. As already executed on national-stadtentwicklungspolitik.de, local measures are decisive to protect wealth, agriculture and infrastructure in times of increasing temperatures.

municipalities are faced with the challenge of protecting their resources and reducing climate -damaging emissions. These include the promotion of renewable energies, the development of emission -free commercial areas and the improvement of energy efficiency in new buildings. The need to develop integrative strategies to improve urban environmental and living conditions is becoming increasingly clear.

The sustainability kit in Hesse also shows how municipalities are supported in the implementation of projects. Activities and materials for social justice, environmental and educational issues are provided here. A central aspect of these initiatives is the human component; It is about that every voice counts and that the quality of life is being improved together. Among other things, the guiding principles of the Hessian sustainability strategy include the obligation to protect the climate and the promotion of sustainable development beyond the borders of Hesse, as described on [hesse- sustainable.de] (https://www.hessen-naudiche.de/ Sachdustkstaschen-2022.html).