Figure 7.7 – Building’ impact on the environment (SCWFS 2019–2050, 2019) Single-family house Apartment complex Annual per capita CO emissions2 Annual per capita CO emissions2 for heating and hot water for heating and hot water Unrefurbished, natural gas Unrefurbished, natural gas 1.1 2.1 Refurbished, natural gas Refurbished, natural gas 0.9 t CO2 0.6 t CO2 t CO2 t CO2 Refurbished, Refurbished, heat pump district heating 0t CO 0t CO2 2 Figure 7.7 shows how Vienna City Council is aware of the The construction of Aspern—Vienna’s Urban Lakeside will be importance of buildings within its fight against climate change.completed in the northeast of the city, and it will comprise Therefore, measures are being taken to reduce the levels of CO210,500 housing units that will accommodate twenty thousand that buildings produce by adapting the ways in which citizenspeople. Covering an area of 240 hectares, it is one of Europe’s and companies use energy and materials. largest urban developments. This joint venture aims to pioneer technical solutions for the future of energy in a real-life The figure also shows the differences in energy consumption laboratory where citizens are involved. In 2016, Aspern Smart characteristics between a single-family house and an City Research won the international World Smart City Award apartment complex. Many solutions could be put into place, for Best Smart Project, prevailing among 250 participants from such as implementing green roofs and solar panels on forty-nine countries. buildings. New building constructions and renovation would need to respond to highly demanding standards in terms of Besides, smart users’ input, representing 111 households energy solutions, materials used, and CO emissions.2 participating in the research project, provides a daily practice check. Their opinions, feedback, and findings represent the key 5.4. Aspern smart city research experiment to the development of people and market-oriented solutions for energy suppliers. Aspern Smart City Research (ASCR) is one of Europe’s most innovative and sustainable energy efficiency experiments. ThisFor this project, three buildings—a residential building, a research association was founded by Siemens AG Austria, Wien student residence, and an educational campus (currently Energie GmbH, Wiener Netze GmbH, and Vienna City Council comprising a kindergarten and an elementary school)—are (Aspern Smart City research website , 2020). To date, this kindthe ASCR’s smart building research objects. They have been of cooperation model is unique in Europe, since it involves moreequipped with solar panel installations, solar thermal systems, than one hundred people from different scientific disciplineshybrid systems, heat pumps, and many other technologies to (ASCrw, 2020). compare and evaluate the most efficient ones (ASCrw, 2020). 213 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021