Vienna tops World’s Greenest Cities List for 2020

The annual Resonance list was published on Earth day and features the world’s most visited cities

Once again, the Austrian capital of Vienna and its citizens and local authorities have been awarded with the recognition they so rightfully deserve in terms of green policies and sustainable development with the city coming on top of Resonance’s World’s Greenest Cities List for 2020.

The list, unlike others you might find, has a special criterion to choose which cities to examine. Rather than taking into account large urban centres around the globe, the Resonance index focuses on cities that are visited the most by travellers – namely by taking into account the top 50 most visited cities as rated on TripAdvisor. That is why you might find many of the usual suspects when it comes to green development, like the Danish capital of Copenhagen, absent from this year’s Resonance ranking – they simply did not fit the criteria set by the competition’s organisers.

Going green in Vienna

If you’re wondering how Vienna has come out on top, look no further. The city’s success is owed to a combination of a few factors:

• Green energy – 30% of all the city’s energy needs are satisfied with green energy sources
• Public transport – the city’s robust and accessible public transport network has allowed over half the local politicians to use it to get to work, preferring it to their own personal cars
• Green and outdoor spaces – Vienna hosts over 130 outdoor markets and its local government has been on a greening spree even before the heatwave of the summer of 2019.
• Clear air - Thanks to the efforts of local officials, the Austrian capital boasts tons of green spaces and vast stretches of walking and cycling lanes, spread all across the urban area, thus allowing citizens to spend even more time in nature and contributing to improving the city’s air quality.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the index and the other green cities of the world, be sure to check out the ranking itself.