Welcome Innsbruck - Winter 2019

W E L C O M E 70 S T A D T L E B E N I S T D A S I N T E R E S S E U N D D A M I T A U C H D A S V E R - S T Ä N D N I S D E R B E V Ö L K E R U N G F Ü R K L I M A U N D K L I - M A S C H U T Z G E S T I E G E N ? G E O R G W I L L I : Absolut. Und dabei ist die Fridays-for-Futures-Bewegung sehr hilfreich, wo sich nun schon seit Monaten jeden Freitag junge Menschen vor der Annasäule treffen, die auch ihre Eltern beeinflussen und sagen: So kann es nicht weitergehen. Ich kenne Familien, in denen die Kinder sich dem widersetzen, mit dem Flugzeug in den Urlaub zu fliegen – das hätte es vor fünf Jahren nicht gegeben. Wir sind in einer Zeit des Umbaus. So einen Umbau, wie wir ihn schaffen müssen, hat es in der Menschheitsgeschichte wahrschein- lich noch nicht gegeben. Schaffen wir den nicht, wird es für die Spezies Mensch auf der Erde ziemlich eng werden. W > > I N N S B R U C K H A S D E C L A R E D A C L I M A T E E M E R G E N - C Y. I S T H I S L I P S E R V I C E O R S O M E T H I N G M O R E T H A N J U S T S Y M B O L I S M ? U S C H I S C H W A R Z L : The question of the climate emergency is not only a symbolically important one, but also linked to a commitment by the local council to take the issues of cli- mate protection and climate change adaptation seriously. We do this in many ways. Just recently – in September – we organised the so-called “Passathon”, a marathon for bikes, skaters and walkers through passive housing projects. Many spotlight projects, especially in passive housing construction, were visited. We are on the right track in an exemplary fashion when it comes to non-profit and public housing. We have had an energy plan for Innsbruck for many years with the goal of phas- ing out fossil fuels by 2050. And we are working hard to achieve that. We are currently preparing to award the contract for an urban climate analysis. It will investigate the question of what effects climate change will have on the city’s microclimate. Another working group is working on the combination of façade greening and renewable energies. We are also working on the climate change adaptation strategy. The measures to be taken will be implemented in all areas. And the biggest challenge in terms of measures is mobility, which is also the most challenging issue. Because in order to be able to operate climate protection effec- tively, to make the city worth living in and to return space to the people, society will need to be transformed, and this applies above all to mobil- ity behaviour. G E O R G W I L L I : We must keep our eye on the ball. We’ve had the car for four generations now, that’s about 120 years. During this time, we have rebuilt all our cities and the countryside to make them car-friendly, taking space away from all other city users. This has not only led to traffic jams and poor air quality, but also to the fact that community life is increasingly marginalised. We now have a single gen- eration of time to do this in a way that is humane and climate friendly. For this we need a city administration that, together with the popula- tion, can manage to bring about this rebuilding of the city of Innsbruck. W H A T W I L L T H I S C O N V E R S I O N L O O K L I K E I N I N N S B R U C K ? G E O R G W I L L I : For example, we should build all new houses as they should be in 2050, with their own energy supply and generation. If we build a building on an area where there used to be a green area, then there should be greenery on the roof of the house. We must build new houses in such a way that they will be good for the next 100 years, and we must convert the old buildings within 30 years. We need a renova- tion rate of three percent per year – currently we are just under that, but we will make it. A lot will and must also be done in the area of mobility. Innsbruck is so compact and the distances are so short that the bicycle is the best means of transport. I also believe that an alpine urban city and most of its inhabitants are perfect for it. This, in turn, will give us more street space, because traffic is taking up more and more space. For decades, Innsbruck has been divided up in such a way that paths from one place to another inevitably emerge in everyday life. You live here, you work there, you shop somewhere else. Then you conclude that it sounds great, but there is a lot of traffic between all these functions. It is not for nothing that KH Tyrol is mentioned throughout Austria as a prime example of how the shopping centre can be brought back into the heart of the city. We are finding a way to balance the different func- tions of a city. U S C H I S C H W A R Z L : Innsbruck also has the advantage that it is not an industrial city, but primarily a service city. Even though we have shopping centres on the outskirts of the city, the compactness of Innsbruck makes it easily accessible. We have an exemplary public transport network. But the whole thing has a lot to do with a change of consciousness in the individual. It’s not about bans, but about making city life enjoyable - I wonder if an average car journey of 1.5 km by car in Innsbruck makes people happy. I think that cycling is more enjoyable. H A S T H E P U B L I C ’ S I N T E R E S T I N A N D U N D E R S T A N D - I N G O F T H E C L I M A T E A N D C L I M A T E P R O T E C T I O N I N - C R E A S E D ? G E O R G W I L L I : Absolutely. And the Fridays for Futures movement, which has been meeting every Friday in front of the An- nasäule for months now, is very helpful in this, as they also influence their parents and say: things cannot go on like this. I know families in which children object to flying away on holiday - that wouldn’t have happened five years ago. We are in a time of change. There has prob- ably never been such a necessary change in the history of mankind. If we don’t manage it, it will be quite tough for the human species on Earth. W