Vienna Replaces Parking Spaces with Parks, Changing the City

Other cities are taking note as Vienna swaps asphalt for trees, bike lanes, and public seating.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Faced with climate change and limited space, Vienna is on a mission to replace parking spots with green infrastructure and public areas. The Austrian capital has more than 350 projects underway to turn parking spaces into parks, community gardens, and pedestrian-friendly zones. This approach is partly funded by parking fees, which now bring in around €180 million annually and go towards improving cycling and public transit. As a result, car use in Vienna has dropped by 37% compared to the 1990s.

Why it matters

Parking spots take up an enormous amount of urban land, contributing to rising temperatures, worsening flooding, and prioritizing cars over people. Vienna's plan challenges the long-held assumption that cars should always come first in city planning, demonstrating how reducing parking can make cities cooler, more livable, and better for the environment.

The details

Vienna is replacing street parking with green infrastructure and public areas, including a major street reimagined as a Dutch-style cycling corridor where 140 parking spaces were swapped for bike lanes and plants. Residents can even apply to convert individual parking spots into 'neighborhood oases' like community gardens and outdoor seating areas. The city has also implemented a strict two-hour limit for non-resident parking and invested heavily in a reliable, affordable public transit system to encourage behavioral change.

  • Vienna has been quietly removing street parking in favor of public space since the early 2020s.
  • The city now requires payment for all street parking city-wide, with a strict two-hour limit for non-residents.

The players

Vienna Department of Urban Planning and Development

The city agency overseeing Vienna's efforts to replace parking spaces with green infrastructure and public areas.

Henry Grabar

A journalist and author of "Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World" who has reported on the complicated politics around reducing parking in cities.

Dana Yanocha

A researcher at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy who has studied how cities are rethinking their approach to parking.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We have to take people on board. We have to ask: how do you want your neighborhood? Do you want it to be filled with cars and without any trees, or do you want something different?”

— Ina Homeier, Department of Urban Planning and Development, Vienna (optimistdaily.com)

“There's been very complicated politics around taking back some of the space we've accorded the automobile.”

— Henry Grabar, Journalist and author (optimistdaily.com)

“There are lots of cities that are starting to realize the opportunity that parking offers for cities that have relatively limited budgets.”

— Dana Yanocha, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (optimistdaily.com)

What’s next

Vienna plans to continue its efforts to replace parking spaces with green spaces and public amenities, with more than 350 projects currently underway across the city.

The takeaway

By prioritizing people over cars and investing in reliable public transit, Vienna is demonstrating how reducing parking can make cities more livable, sustainable, and equitable. Other cities are taking note and exploring similar approaches to reclaim urban space for the benefit of their residents.