<
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/15/nx-s1-5400642/affordable-housing-environment-vienna-climate-change>
'VIENNA — At the edge of a wide, grassy park in Vienna, there's a modern
building with lots of windows and a sleek wood facade. For the past six years,
Sebastian Schublach has lived here with his family in a light-filled
four-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor.
Up on the roof, where Schublach can relax in the communal library with a view
of the city and park, there are solar panels to reduce climate pollution.
There's a rooftop garden full of rosemary — the greenery helps keep the
building cool in summer. Thick, insulated walls reduce the need for heating and
cooling — Schublach's apartment doesn't even need an air conditioner. "It's not
cold in winter times. It's not hot in summer times," Schublach says. "It's very
comfortable."
In the United States, high-quality, climate-friendly apartments like this are
mostly rare and unaffordable, says Daniel Aldana Cohen, professor of sociology
at the University of California, Berkeley and co-director of the think tank the
Climate and Community Institute. But in Vienna, sustainable buildings like
Schublach's aren't just affordable, they're widespread. Schublach's apartment
is what the Viennese call "social housing" — housing that's built or supported
by the government. Now this social housing is a key driver of Vienna's
ambitious climate action.'
Via
Reasons to be Cheerful:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-were-reading-cooling-paint-sweats/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
