Executive summary Vienna has adopted a unique smart city strategy that is based on initiatives and the social democratic legacy of past decades’ an awareness of the increased pressure that growth is placing economic policy: Is the result more likely to be a green social on its natural and financial resources. The Viennese smart city democracy project or ecosocialism? strategy strives to answer the following question: How can the current level of quality of life be guaranteed in the future? The 2011 version of the SCWF had a strong focus on technological innovation. In 2013, the project’s steering group Vienna, as Austria’s federal capital, has received many decided to expand the framework strategy. The document was awards and prizes,1 among them top position on the Roland created “in a participatory process involving numerous group Berger Smart City Strategy Index in 2017 and 2019. Around discussions, thematic workshops and interviews with more three million people live in Vienna’s metropolitan area. than 100 experts... The main topics of the framework strategy Constant demand for work, revenues, and access to modern were then rendered concrete, leading to the formulation infrastructure illustrates the social need for affordable and of objectives” (SCWF 2019-2050). As a result of social, functional housing. In addition, expectations to use renewable technological, and economic issues, as well as of the growing energy sources and ecofriendly mobility tools are high in the importance given to climate issues within the international Austrian capital. political scene, the SCWF was updated in 2019. In the political arena, for the first time in its history, the Green One of the most important new aspects of the 2019 version Party joined Austria’s national government in January 2020, is the alignment of goals and objectives with the UN’s SDGs doing so alongside the center-right People’s Party in a move (see Chapter 1). The updated version introduces three new that blocked the Far Right from taking a second term in dimensions: quality of life, resources, and innovation in office. The coalition that was formed at that time aims to put energy and mobility. New topics such as climate change, the Austria on a path to becoming climate neutral, which means circular economy, and reduction in resource use (via waste greenhouse gas emissions are counterbalanced by measures management and recycling processes) were added. Moreover, that absorb or eliminate carbon, by 2050. That time frame digitalization and citizen participation also became new, high- would make Vienna climate neutral ten years earlier than the priority goals. Afterwards, some specific methods have helped EU aims to achieve that status. to select indicators that have been qualified. On top of that, some metrics on governance principles have been added. The Smart City Wien Framework (SCWF), the first version of which was launched in 2011, provides a long-term strategy and Some analysts think that the structure of the SCWF clearly orients the city’s development. Rapid changes have made it reflects the holistic nature of Vienna’s collaborative policy.3 necessary to periodically review and adjust the framework. The To achieve the goals that the 2019 SCWF sets, profound Smart City Wien Framework Strategy 2019-2050 (SCWF 2019- transformation of many aspects of the city’s life will be 2050),2in its present form, was agreed upon by the municipal required. For example, the targeted preservation of resources council on June 26, 2019. requires, at the city level, more efficient practices that are characterized by clear policy and planning to reduce The Smart City Wien Framework is part of Vienna’s identity greenhouse gas emissions. The city has set objectives of a 35 and lies at the heart of the city’s planned social and ecological percent reduction in GHGs and resource use by 2030 and of an transformative strategies. The SCWF appears to be rooted 80 percent reduction in them by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. within the green economy paradigm. Some scholars have raised concerns about its compatibility with a redistributive To achieve these targets, Vienna has established specific policy economic and social policy (Brandl & Zielinska, 2020). One goals that fit into the following nine dimensions of our study’s question concerns the possible outcome of mixing ecological framework: (1) https://smartcity.wien.gv.at/site/en/approach/references/ (accessed over the first quarter of 2021). (2) https://smartcity.wien.gv.at/en/ (accessed over the first quarter of 2021). (3) https://hub.beesmart.city/city-portraits/smart-city-vienna (accessed on 8 June 2021). 194 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021