SMART & GREEN - THE PERKS OF LIVING IN VILLACH
Villach is a progressive city that cares about the future and the environment, and that continuously supports eco-friendly innovations (such as the expansion of the city’s bus network). Family-friendliness, sustainability, and climate protection are the highest priorities for the city government.
It is therefore not surprising that the 2022 budget plan designates €42.6 million for investments in education, the environment, sustainability, and climate action, as well as on modern mobility and the continued development of Villach as an economic hub.
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS AND VILLACH AS A PIONEER
Already in 1985, 89 top climate researchers from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Council for Science (ICSU) met in Villach to jointly address the world’s people and announce that, for the first time in history, humans were in the process of changing the Earth’s climate. According to their findings at the time, the consequences of climate change would be felt long before the end of the 21st century, so they called on businesses and politicians to take steps to protect the climate. This conference in Villach is now considered a milestone in the climate debate.
As unnoticed as the conference was at the time, it is now legendary in the history of the field. The gatherings in Villach prompted world governments to found the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in 1988. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted in 1992 as the first international climate protection agreement, and was ratified by 154 countries.
The City of Villach has been a member of the Europe-wide program “Energy Efficient Towns e5” since 2010 and is pleased to have received numerous awards and distinctions over the last several years. The city was awarded the 5 “e” status in 2016, and in 2020 was honored with the European Energy Award Gold for the “Re-Use” project, which was implemented with several partners, including Villacher Saubermacher and Arge Sozial Villach. Additionally, the city got 3rd place in 2019 for its sustainability projects.
Besides this, the City of Villach is also a Climate Alliance Community, a Fair Trade City, and has even received a “Climate Star” award.
Villach is also one of the pioneers in Austria when it comes to heat generation, and work on a sustainable energy infrastructure has been going on successfully for decades. The city’s district heating network is one of the largest in Austria: through their more than 127 kilometer long network, the energy company KELAG Energie & Wärme delivers 260 million kilowatt hours of heat to around 14,000 households in Villach. Through investments in Villach’s multi-supply district heating system, around 49,000 tons of CO2 can be saved every year. Most of the heat used in this system comes from biomass, waste heat, and solar thermal energy. Additionally, Villach has set itself the goal of using the majority of the roof space on its own buildings for photovoltaic systems by 2030; thirteen such systems have already been completed.
With a collection of different measures, Villach is continuing on the path of energy efficiency and thrift. As early as 2014, more than 3000 public lighting sources were replaced with energy-saving LED bulbs. An additional energy saving program has been put in place for the next several months: the heating temperature in city offices will be reduced to 20 degrees Celsius, the external lighting of buildings like churches and city offices will be turned off or shortened, in winter the hours when Christmas lights are on will also be shortened, and the skating rink at Rathausplatz will be in operation for fewer weeks.
TRAFFIC
The City of Villach also wants to make progress in terms of transportation. Because the top climate goal is to reduce individual motorized traffic, it wants to support its residents to get around in eco-friendly or climate neutral ways.
In 2022, regularly scheduled service was introduced for the first time on almost all the bus lines. In addition, the City is pushing for an expansion of the bike path network, a light rail stop in Landskron is being implemented, and sharing models for cars and e-scooters are being made possible. Furthermore, it is planned that Villach will become the first region in Austria in which buses run on emission-free hydrogen. A corresponding filling station will be implemented in the near future.
DIGITALIZATION
In recent years, the City of Villach has impressively shown how quickly it can react to constant changes. Digitalization in the region is progressing, and this brings numerous advantages for people who live and work in Villach. The city is constantly finding new solutions that offer residents more flexibility. Digitalization projects like the trash app or the digital governmental portal “Kaerstin” have already been implemented. Additionally, a fiber optic initiative, which will soon bring fast internet to all of Villach’s schools as well as to 14,000 of the city’s households, is currently being implemented.
NATURE
In Carinthia you are surrounded by the impressive Central and Limestone Alps mountains, and in Villach you have Dobratsch Nature Park and Gerlitzen Mountain practically on your doorstep. The 1,200 crystal-clear lakes and ponds, such as Lake Faak, Lake Ossiach, Lake Aichwald, Lake Vassach, or Lake Silber are perfect for sporting activities and pure relaxation in both summer and winter. The best thing about it is not only that the lakes can be used for swimming or for ice skating, but also that all the lakes in Carinthia have very good water quality, and many of them have drinking water quality.
All of this and much more make Austria, and especially Carinthia, an exceptionally great place to live. Villach is among the fastest growing counties in Austria, and therefore needs more infrastructure, more jobs, more places for people to live, and more preschool spots. In order to make all of these important expansions while paving over as little new land as possible, the City has a focus on high-quality and compact urban development. With this in mind, apartments will be built on already-existing parking lots, or additional stories will be added to existing buildings. Exactly these goals will be pursued in the so-called “Viertel-Projekten”, or “neighborhood projects”, and the West Train Station Project is even being built as a “climate active neighborhood”.
In order to make Villach’s city center even greener - the amount of forest has stayed at a high 55% for decades - €200,000 has been invested since summer 2022 in making a new tree avenue, which will stretch from the main train station to the Stadtpark. And with the “green corners” initiative, Villach will create small parks in the individual neighborhoods.
Approximately 28% of Villach’s urban area is protected conservation area - like Dobratsch Nature Park. In 2002 it was Carinthia’s first Nature Park and since then work has been done to ensure that education, recreation, regional development, and environmental protection can all co-exist with equal importance. In addition, Dobratsch Mountain is Villach’s water source, which supplies not only top-quality drinking water but also therapeutic and thermal waters. It is also a popular local recreation and excursion area for Villach’s residents and visitors.
In summary, the City of Villach has been involved in the area of sustainability for many years, and has taken on a leadership role in this field in Carinthia. The long-term goal is clearly defined: the city should become climate neutral and phase-out fossil fuels as quickly as possible.