Vienna on the upswing: New government program for an affordable future!

Vienna on the upswing: New government program for an affordable future!

On June 3, 2025, the SPÖ and NEOS presented the new government program of the Vienna city government, which is under the banner of the “upturn coalition”. The extensive 191-page document outlines ambitious plans for the future of Vienna. Mayor Michael Ludwig and Deputy Mayor Bettina Emmerling presented the central themes and goals that should make Vienna a livable, affordable and climate-friendly city by 2030. courier reports that the focus is particularly on social cohesion, economic strength and modern education.

The coalition plans to invest heavily in a total of five chapters of the program. This includes the creation of 1,500 new community apartments and the introduction of a new allocation system that is individually tailored to the living situations of the residents. There are also 22,000 subsidized apartments in the districts of Brigittenau, Donaustadt, Liesing and Simmering. An innovative concept for a digital vacancy database for business premises is intended to help manage vacancies better. Vienna.at highlights that there will be no vacancy levy, which is positive news for many property owners.

Mobility and urban planning

As far as mobility is concerned, the city government intends to expand the WienMobil cycling offer in Aspern Seestadt and to modernize the transport system, including by extending the route of the 18 tram. The possibility of taking bicycles on buses and trams is also being tested. Another goal is to unbundle cycling and walking traffic on the Vienna Ring. Cosmo adds that environmentally friendly measures such as redesigning the ring road and testing autonomous buses are also on the plan.

The climate goals of the new government are also important. The expansion of 400,000 square meters of new parks and the planting of 20,000 new trees demonstrate a strong commitment to the environment. In addition, the entire gas network infrastructure is to be examined and a solar initiative is to be launched in order to develop Vienna sustainably.

Education and integration

Another central issue is education. The expansion of language support and the introduction of compulsory attendance for children who need language support, from 20 to 30 hours, are planned. The reform of the minimum income will particularly benefit families with children and shared apartments in order to strengthen integration and social participation. The announced “Vienna Integration Code” is intended to provide an important building block here.

The coalition is also planning measures to combat child poverty and would like to actively counteract child and youth crime by using “orientation helpers”. Vienna.at highlights that in addition to health care, the focus is also on expanding school social work and support staff for educational institutions.

The coalition is aware of the strained budget situation and feels compelled to introduce structured reforms. Higher dividends from municipal investments as well as savings and an evaluation of subsidies are on the agenda. Despite these challenges, the aim is to establish Vienna as a leading location for digitalization and cutting-edge technology, among other things by promoting AI projects and cybersecurity research centers.

Overall, the new government program shows a clear direction and ambitions to make Vienna more livable, fairer and modern in the coming years. The approval of the party committees is still pending, but preparations for the constitution of the new local council are already underway. June 10th is planned as the date for the official introduction of the new city government.