In this episode, recorded in collaboration with the Urban Future 2026 conference in Ljubljana, we travel to Vienna, Austria, to discuss practical climate action. Our guest, Johannes Lutter, Head of International Affairs and Strategic Partnerships at Urban Innovation Vienna, shares how the city implements its Smart Climate City Strategy.

We explore the balance between climate protection and adaptation, highlighting initiatives like public cooling zones designed to combat urban heat and prevent social isolation for vulnerable residents. Johannes also outlines the massive challenge of transitioning 600,000 households from gas heating to renewable alternatives by 2040.

Additionally, we look into how Vienna fosters co-creation through the Vienna Climate Teams and builds strategic partnerships with academia and the private sector to scale sustainable solutions across the urban landscape.

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Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Intro
• (00:01:45) - Teaser question: What kind of public space most feels like Vienna?
• (00:03:28) - Guest background
• (00:04:45) - Smart Climate City Strategy
• (00:06:31) - Infrastructure Traditions and Challenges
• (00:08:20) - Climate Adaptation and Heatwaves
• (00:10:35) - Translating Goals to Standards
• (00:13:30) - Genuinely Useful Public Participation
• (00:16:58) - Strategic Institutional Partnerships
• (00:20:08) - Prioritisation and Political Action
• (00:23:17) - Scaling Beyond Pilot Projects
• (00:26:05) - Segment: Top or Flop
• (00:29:15) - Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”