7 reasons, why Vienna is proud of its services of general interest

1. ONE OF THE BEST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

With its rapid public transit system, including subway lines, countless streetcar lines and bus routes, Vienna has one of the densest public transport networks in the world. Thanks to the € 365 annual pass, there are more annual public transport pass holders than registered cars.

2. GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED AND WELL-KNOWN CONCEPT OF SOCIAL HOUSING

Vienna has invested in affordable housing for over 100 years now. More than 60 % of the population live in municipally owned social housing or publicly subsidized cooperative housing projects.

3. MODERN SCHOOLS

Vienna invests in education. In addition to the construction and renovation of schools and educational spaces in additional extension buildings, the "campus model" practiced in Vienna connects buildings used for kindergarten, schooling and after-school education, so that education and child care are located at just one location, which is beneficial to parents as well as children.

4. HIGHEST QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER

The entire city of Vienna is supplied with high spring water from the Alps. In December of 2001 Vienna has enshrined the protection of its drinking water from privatization in its constitution. That way Vienna has been the first major city in the world to protect its drinking water from privatization by means of a constitutional provision.

5. CITY OF CULTURE AND MUSIC

With around 100 museums, a large number of municipally run libraries, venues for opera and musicals and city-sponsored arthouse cinemas, the city's cultural offerings not only delight the Viennese, but also attract millions of visitors to Vienna every year.

6. GREEN CITY

Around half of Vienna's urban area consists of forests and meadows, public parks and gardens, most of which are managed by the City of Vienna. With the Donau-Auen National Park protecting large swaths of Danube wetlands within its city limits, the Viennese are able to visit a national without having to leave the city – an opportunity seldomly found within a metropolitan area.

7. SUMMER PARADISE

Around 50 pools in Vienna invite one to swim and relax. In summer, there are also a number of freely accessible bathing spots in Vienna's high-quality natural waters, mainly along the Danube river and its tributaries.

Study Remunicipalization in Europe (2019)

Factsheet 7 reasons why Vienna is a showcase for services of general interest (ÖGPP)