ÖVP remains the winner: Future of the car -free inner city of Vienna secured!

ÖVP remains the winner: Future of the car -free inner city of Vienna secured!

Wien, Österreich - The political elections in Vienna have produced significant results. The ÖVP under district chief Markus Figl has achieved a convincing result of 36.3 % in the first district and remains at the first Place. The SPÖ follows in second place with a share of 20.8 %, while the Greens have reached 15.5 %. The NEOS and FPÖ were able to combine 12.4 % or 11.8 % of the votes.

In the inner city, where around 16,400 people live, around 250,000 visitors flock to the district every day. A central topic of choice was the concept of car -free city center, which is supported by all parties apart from the FPÖ. The newly appointed Minister of Transport has already promised a amendment to change the road traffic regulations, which should enable camera surveillance to the center when entering.

car -free inner cities in the global context

This initiative is part of a global trend, in which more and more cities are implementing car -free concepts to improve the quality of life and reducing air pollution. Cities like Oslo and Gent have already successfully designed their city centers almost car-free. Oslo has drastically reduced the number of parking spaces in the city center since 2015, while Ghent has had a 35 -hectare car -free center since 2017, which shows a positive effect on the environment and lifestyle.

There are also many concise examples of car -free zones, such as the historic cities of Venice and Fès el Bali, which inherently do not allow cars. Vehicles are not even needed in these urban rooms, which noticeably improves the fresh air quality and living conditions of the residents.

advantages and disadvantages of car-free cities

The discussion about car -free cities is characterized by enthusiasm and criticism. The advantages are, for example, improved air quality, reduced noise pollution and the promotion of local-economic trade. A survey shows that 61 % of the male and 66 % of the female surveyed support new traffic concepts to protect the environment and climate. Nevertheless, there are also critical voices. 65 % of the respondents perceive life without a car as more complicated, which indicates the need to expand local public transport in order to expand mobility needs.

The change to urban rooms without cars is a step towards a more sustainable and livable city life.