City Of Vienna City Of Vienna

OPENCities Local Action Plan

OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 1
URBACT II
 City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 2 PAGE 3

Contents
1
Approach & Overview 4
Approach & basic orientation of the action plan 5
Overview of the 8 packages and 21 actions of LAP Vienna 70

2
LAP Vienna – Basic Assessments & Requirements 10
Strategy area “Leadership & governance” 13
Strategy area “Internationalisation” 16
Strategy area “Integration & social inclusion” 18

3
LAP Vienna – Eight Packages of Actions for an Open Vienna 20
Leadership & governance
1 Shaping the open city 20
2 DiverCity 26

Internationalisation
3 Inside & outside 28

Integration & social inclusion

4 Crossing the threshold 34
5 Occupation in line with education 38
6 Education for upward social mobility 40
7 Social welfare services and nursing care for all 44
8 Neighbourhood power 48

4
Annex 50

Municipal Department 17 Diversity and Integration

Municipal Department 18 Urban Development and Planning
Municipal Department 27 EU Strategy and Economic Development
Vienna Social Fund FSW

Prepared and co-ordinated on behalf of Municipal Department 18 –

Urban Development and Planning by:
Europaforum Wien – Centre for Urban Dialogue and European Policy
Eugen Antalovsky, Alexander Wolffhardt
March 2011
 City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 4 PAGE 5

1 Approach & Overview Approach & basic

orientation of LAP Vienna

The guiding 1 From basic assessments migration and demographic change in

and requirements to the the city’s publicised self-image, are to
principle is to be sustainably promoted based on the
strengthen Vienna’s Open Cities Action Plan for
Open Cities agenda. It is only through
Vienna
“openness”, which genuine equality of all population groups
and firm action against discrimination
the URBACT Network As defined by the URBACT project, the
and racism that Vienna will be able to
defines as “the capacity Local Action Plan is geared towards
become a really “open” city.
of a city to attract three strategy areas that may also
overlap and are closely interrelated:
international populations To prepare the Open City Action
Plan for Vienna, the Local Support
and to enable them to Leadership & governance
Group (LSG, see Annex) that, being
contribute to the Internationalisation
a development partnership, is made
Integration & social inclusion
future success up of representatives of relevant
of the city.” The guiding principle is to strengthen
offices and organisat ions within and
outside the Vienna city administration
Vienna’s “openness”, which the URBACT
agreed on a basic assessment of
Network defines as “the capacity of a
the situation of Vienna in the three
city to attract international populations
strategy areas. On this basis, it defined
and to enable them to contribute to the
one core requirement for Vienna and
future success of the city.”
requirements for the actions included in
the Action Plan in each of those areas.
As a result of the project, this orientation
Subsequently, the possible elements
is to be embedded across administrative
of the Action Plan were discussed with
groups on a broad basis in the City and
the appropriate stakeholders as well as
actions taken are to provide inspiration
the administrative decision-makers and
beyond the project’s term and are to feed
policy-makers. The relevant provisions
into strategy and development processes
of the coalition government agreement
(in particular, the urban development plan
between the Social Democratic Party of
STEP 2015) as well as the design of
Vienna and the Vienna Green Party of
sectoral policies. Relevant horizontal
November 2010 were taken into account
issues, such as nondiscrimination and
– as a significant contribution to Vienna’s
equality, mainstreaming of diversity
Open City agenda – and integrated into
management and the integration of
the Action Plan.

PAGE 6
2 Contents of the
Local Action Plan
The resulting LAP Vienna contains not
only the rationale and objectives of the
individual actions but also assigns the
responsibility for their implementation to
administrative groups of the City of
Vienna. The LAP whose actions fall
under the City’s direct sphere of activities
only includes actions to be implemented
in the next three years (at the latest, by
the end of the new term of the
City Council in 2015). Because of the
time lag between the preparation of the
Operational Programme (2006/2007)
and the launch of the URBACT project
(2009), it was not possible to define
measures eligible (in line with the
priorities defined) under the Regional
Competitiveness & Employment/
Objective 2 programme.
The Action Plan is made up of elements
in different stages of design, initiation and
implementation. The following categories
illustrate the spectrum covered by LAP
actions:
Ongoing measures to be intensified
Measures under way or to be
intensified in the future that are given
special visibility in Vienna’s “Openness”
agenda as well as an exchange of
experiences and joint learning in the
network through their inclusion into the
LAP Vienna.
Measures in the design and
development phase
Existing project ideas and measures
in preparation that progress towards
realisation because of their integration
into the LAP Vienna as well as
measures that are currently piloted and
are to be put on a broader basis in the
future.
Innovative projects
Projects agreed on at the political level
within the framework of the coalition
government agreement that were
developed in co-operation with the
LSG and/or inspired by the models
and experiences of the partner cities.
In all the three strategy areas of the
LAP – leadership & governance,
internationalisation as well as integration
& social inclusion –, activities and
measures presented by the partner
cities participating in the thematic
URBACT network meetings provided
inspiration for the development of the
Viennese packages of actions. For
example, objectives of the Belfast
“Migrant Forum” and the Dublin “Migrant
Voters Campaign” are reflected in
Action 1.3 “Participation agenda for
all Viennese”, the philosophy of the
“China Competence Centre Düsseldorf”
in Action 3.3 “Diversity agenda for
institutions active in foreign trade”, the
orientation of the Düsseldorf “Family
tutoring” to civil society in the “reading
mentors” project forming part of Action
6.2 “Education and equal opportunities”
and the governance principle of the
“Cardiff Bay Regeneration Project” in
Action 8.1 “Neighbourhood development
for social inclusion and community
building”.
3 Funding and
implementation
Being an action plan that is intentionally
located at the heart of Vienna’s
administration and its departments
or institutions, LAP implementation
over the coming years will be part
and parcel of the City’s regular policy
and budgeting process. Each action
unequivocally assigns responsibility to
one (or sometimes more) Administrative
Group(s), i.e. the political portfolio of an
Executive City Councillor. Under his or
her guidance and under political scrutiny
of the City Council, the appropriate
departments or institutions will act on
an operative level. Actions are designed
to be covered by regular budget-lines of
the administrative branches, as they are
being negotiated on a yearly basis.
An exception to this is action 3.4
concerning labour mobility in the four-
country cross-border region CENTROPE.
Here, the transnational cooperation
framework until 2012 is provided by a
multilateral project largely funded by the
EU’s CENTRAL EUROPE programme,
with co-funding from the partner regions
and cities (Vienna being the lead partner).
The existing political commitment to the
cross-border cooperation endeavour
renders a continuation of the initiative
after 2012 very likely. In a similar vein,
later implementation of actions under
the umbrella of the EU Strategy for the
Danube Region is likely to be funded
under EU territorial cooperation
programmes.
OPENCities Local Action Plan
Overview of the 8 packages
and 21 actions of LAP Vienna
Strategy area
“Leadership
& governance”
1 Shaping the open city
Communication agenda for a
diverse & open city
Communications of the city not
treating long-standing residents and
newcomers as separate target groups
– the acid test of the “Vienna Charter
of Living Together”
Recognition, appreciation & anti-
discrimination
Intensified and clearly visible
anti-discrimination policy – anti-
discrimination campaign as a
centrepiece
Participation agenda for all
Viennese
Improved political and social
participation of the migrant population
– right to vote, dialogue platforms
Continuation of the Vienna
Migration Commission
Objective and future-oriented migration
debate in a non-partisan consensus
– expert commission for shaping
migration
Integration and diversity monitoring
Making integration and Viennese
diversity policy measurable – from the
first monitoring exercise in 2010 to a
regular monitoring system
City Of Vienna
PAGE 7
2 DiverCity
Proactive implementation of
diversity management
Interculturally accessible services,
more employees with a migration
background – vigorous diversity-
oriented organisational development in
the city
Incentives for diversity-oriented
practices within the city
administration
Awards and/or additional funding for
good practice units – regular diversity
call for exemplary approaches
Being an action
plan that is
intentionally located at
the heart of Vienna’s
administration and
its departments or
institutions, LAP
implementation over
the coming years will
be part and parcel of
the City’s regular policy
and budgeting
process.

PAGE 8
Strategy area
“Internationalisation”
3 Internal & external
Information and recruiting strategies
for mobility within the EU and from
third countries
Shaping migration to Vienna on the
basis of communication – actively
attracting people contributing to the
city’s human capital
Support and communication priority
for enterprises with international
roots
Advice, services and further training for
migrant entrepreneurs – raising public
awareness of their contribution to
Vienna’s economy
Diversity agenda for institutions
active in foreign trade
Using the migrant population as
economic bridges to in the countries of
origin – diversity competence in foreign
trade
CENTROPE mobility area
Shaping an integrated transnational
labour market – mobility and co-
ordinated human capital strategies in
this four-country region
An open Vienna as a hub for the
Danube region
Sustainable mobility, improved
accessibility – contributing to and
actively utilising the emerging EU
Strategy for the Danube Region
Strategy area
“Integration &
social inclusion”
4 Crossing the threshold
Start Vienna Plus
Start-up support services tailored to
the target groups, also including EU
citizens – identification of qualifications
to ensure appropriate labour market
entry
German-language competence and
basic education
Continuation and extension of
affordable services specific to the
target groups
5 Occupation in line
with education
Package of measures for
recognising qualifications &
ensuring occupation adequate to
education
Certification of formal and informal
qualifications, modular additional
training, information for employers –
improved utilisation of education
6 Education for upward
social mobility
Kindergartens as the first
education institution
Raising the number of kindergarten
places – early promotion of German-
language competence – increased
use of bilingual models – focus on the
transition from kindergarten to school
School and equal opportunities
Promotion of language skills at school
– appreciation and promotion of f irst
languages – successful completion
of compulsory schooling for all – free
learning assistance – reading mentors
Measures against dropping out of
and for succeeding in education
Lower drop-out rate, higher
educational attainment – increase
in social work at school – parent
education in parallel to schooling –
introduction of best practices in regular
education
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 9
7 Social welfare services 8 Neighbourhood power
and nursing care for all
Neighbourhood development
Diversity agenda for mobile for social inclusion and
community building
social welfare services
Knowledge management, awareness Neighbourhood development linking
raising, interculturally sensitive social problems with issues and
provision of services, staff with strategies of upgrading urban spaces
migration background – diversity
management at all levels of mobile
services
Mobile care for elderly migrants
Elderly migrants as a key challenge
for care systems – diversity strategies
for maintaining and raising quality
standards
 City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 10 PAGE 11

2 LAP Vienna Basic assessments

& requirements
Basic assessments & requirements
Vienna is a city The past two decades have not only
changed our city but also urban policies
where 28% of its with regard to migration and integration.
1.7 million residents were Today, Vienna is a city where 28% of its
born abroad and 44% 1.7 million residents were born abroad
and 44% of the population have a
of the population have a migration background, which means
migration background, that they or at least one of their parents
which means that they were born abroad or that they are foreign
or at least one of their nationals.
parents were born
abroad or that they
are foreign nationals.

PAGE 12
Some key developments,
as provided by the Vienna
Integration and Diversity
Monitor 2009:
Strong increase in immigration
from EU countries.
The population growth in Vienna has
been based on immigration for many
years. Immigration from other EU
countries has increased significantly
due to the EU enlargement in 2004
and 2007 and above all due to an
increase in immigration from Germany.
The number of immigrants from
“classical” destination countries such
as Turkey has remained constant or
has even slightly decreased as is the
case with immigrants from Serbia,
Montenegro and Kosovo.
Significant decrease in number of
nationalisations – Number of third-
country citizens is increasing.
By and large, EU citizens have the
same rights as Austrian citizens and
have a good perspective to stay in
Austria permanently but they are
mostly excluded from political 16
participation. In addition, the number
of nationalisations has strongly
decreased at least since 2006 (since
2003 the number of nationalisations
was reduced to one sixth, i.e. from
18,085 to 2,855 in 2009) which is why
the number of third-country citizens
has been increasing. Thirdcountry
citizens, however, have very restricted
rights and opportunities for social and
political participation. 20% of persons
of voting age have no right to vote in
elections to the National Assembly or
Vienna City Council because they are
foreign nationals.
Increasing importance
of 2nd generation.
13% of all Viennese who were born
in Austria and are Austrian nationals
have at least one parent who was
born abroad. Nearly 50% of these
Viennese are younger than 15. This
generation attends Austrian schools.
If these children attend kindergarten
and pre-school it has positive effects
on their acquisition and knowledge of
the German language. The earlier they
attend kindergarten the better they
know the language and do not need
language support later on. However,
there is a considerable inequality in
the choice of schools for children with
a migration background compared to
those without migration background.
The first migrant generation has
reached pensionable age.
The share of persons with a migration
background who are 65 years or
older is at 19% and will continue
to increase in the next few years.
Migration and age is therefore a key
issue for integration-oriented diversity
policies. There is still a huge lack of
data in this area especially in the fields
of healthcare and elderly care but
there are findings about an inequality
in the use of medical care facilities and
preventive medical check-ups.
1 Strategy area
“Leadership & governance”
The continuous increase of Viennese
with a migration background and the
1.1 Basic
assessments
diversification by country of origin,
qualifications and education as well as the
increasing importance of the second
generations of the largest ethnic groups
have called for differentiated and
enhanced integration policy instruments
and measures.
A paradigm change took place against
this backdrop in 2004, which led to the
further development of integration policies
towards diversity policies and diversity
management for a
modern public administration. Integration
is not just regarded as a process that
concerns migrants and people with a
migration background but also the host
society and its institutions. The term
“diversity” refers to a more comprehensive
approach than the term “integration”
as it also includes the chances and
opportunities that come with a more
diverse society. Public discussion about
integration policies has long focused on
the deficits involved. Diversity policies,
however, shift these discussions to
an approach that concentrates on the
potentials of a diverse population.
Creating equal rights and opportunities in
all areas of life is essential and forms the
basis of social cohesion.
The following basic assessments of
Vienna’s status quo in the three OPEN
CITIES strategy areas result from the
discussions in the Local Support Group.
The requirements specific to each
strategy area and, subsequently, the
actions proposed are derived from these
basic assessments.
Favourable starting points.
With its integration and diversity
strategy, Vienna has a set of
instruments that is essentially
adequate for a city in which 44% of the
population already have a migration
background in functional, conceptual
and material terms: in functional
terms, because integration and
diversity are defined as core tasks of
the administration and an appropriate
institutional framework is in place; in
conceptual terms, because a modern,
potential-oriented approach is applied
in pursuing an integration-oriented
diversity policy; in material terms,
because considerable funding lines
are available for measures designed to
promote integration. The “Alliance for
Integration” supported by three City
Council party groups provides for a
non-partisan consensus on key topics
and issues.
OPENCities Local Action Plan
Vienna has a set of
instruments that is
essentially adequate for a
city in which 44% of the
population already have
a migration background
in functional, conceptual
and material terms: in
functional terms, because
integration and diversity
are defined as core tasks
of the administration and
an appropriate institutional
framework is in place;
in conceptual terms,
because a modern,
potential-oriented
approach is applied in
pursuing an integration-
oriented diversity policy; in
material terms, because
considerable funding lines
are available for measures
designed to
promote integration.
City Of Vienna
PAGE 13
Structurally embedded diversity
approach.
This set of instruments also includes
Municipal Department 17 “Integration
& Diversity” that has the task to offer
services to the migrant population
as well as to support other municipal
offices in opening up the provision
of services in intercultural terms.
Additionally, there is a distinct
equality policy, including dedicated
antidiscrimination legislation as well
as the gradual mainstreaming of
integration and diversity, so that the
services provided by City offices and
affiliated organisations increasingly
take account of the changed
population structure. Actions in the
field of human resources aimed at
making the employees of the City a
mirror of the society will be intensified.
Discrepancy to public opinion.
Nevertheless, Vienna’s integration
and diversity policy acts in a social
and political climate characterised by
a latent rejection of new migration,
scepticism and fears. It faces
restrictive legislation at the federal level
and strong political opposition at the
local level.

PAGE 14
Proactive communication,
organisation and personnel
development.
What is needed is the actual, effective
implementation of diversity orientation
as a cross-cutting responsibility as well
as the joint leadership of all policy-
makers. Moreover, the more diversity-
relevant actions are taken in fields such
as education, social affairs, health,
housing and culture, the more urgent
is the need for an overall monitoring,
i.e. a comprehensive overview of the
performance of the City together with
its diverse institutions.
Potentials of civil society.
The potentials of civil society or self-
organised migrants are insufficiently
exploited for the successful
governance of a city shaped by
immigration. NGOs – being partners of
the city – should play a greater role as
stakeholders and multipliers.
Distorted self-perception of society.
Finally, one of the biggest challenges
results from the fact that the public
does not yet see social diversity,
openness and respect as positive
values and efforts to proactively
counter widespread xenophobia and
discrimination did not succeed yet.
An identity and image of Vienna as an
immigration city that highlights social
diversity and international openness
as one of the city’s strengths still has
to be developed. The absence of
migrants from the media reflects this
attitude of denial in society’s self-
perception. In the media and in the
entire public sphere, success stories
are insufficiently presented to ensure
the visibility of successful integration
and to correct the prevailing picture.
Competitive disadvantages.
These deficits have negative
consequences for Vienna’s
international competitiveness as an
attractive node in the global brain
circulation of specialists, researchers
as well as highly qualified and
creative persons. The stronger the
development towards a knowledge
society is, the more marked will be the
link between respect and openness
and the economic success of a city.
1.2 Requirements
Core requirements in the
strategy area “Leadership
& governance”
Against this backdrop, the most
important requirement in the strategy
area “Leadership & governance”
lies in the development of a new
self-perception of Vienna as a city
characterised by immigration. This
change in public awareness can be
fostered by the way in which the City
presents itself, takes a stand against
any kind of discrimination and
communicates its migrationrelated
strategies and actions. In particular,
this includes dissemination strategies
that target the broad mainstream
of society and address existing
insecurities. In parallel, policy-making
capabilities need to be strengthened
that focus on the longer-term
development of the city, keep pace
with rapid social change and do not
pay heed to xenophobic sentiments.
Efficient implementation structures
also form an important part of
forward-looking policy-making and
organisational development. They may
also include temporary project co-
ordination groups similar to task forces
within the city’s administration that,
however, have the required powers to
take action.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 15
Therefore, actions
contributing to the strategy
area “Leadership &
governance” should:
strengthen Vienna’s commitment to its
role as an immigration city;
broaden the political basis of a
proactive immigration strategy;
enable the departments and
offices of the City to deal with a
diverse population through diversity
management and employees with a
migration background;
attach a positive connotation to
migration and diversity in public
discourse;
strengthen the openness of the
population, counter xenophobia and
promote intercultural competences in
the majority population;
address and counter discriminating
behaviours.
 City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 16 PAGE 17

2 Strategy area
“Internationalisation”

2.1 Basic Major role of the SME sector.

assessments
An open, internationally
oriented economy.
Vienna is the centre of Austria’s
economy that, by international
comparisons, is marked by above-
average openness, international
integration and export orientation. The
Vienna-based banking and service
industries with their activities in the
CEE region are an example of this high
level of internationalisation.
Orientation to a Central
European hub function.
This position is reflected by the
internationalisation strategies
pursued by the City that have already
In structural terms, Vienna’s economy
is dominated by small and medium-
sized enterprises that – being based
in a high-wage location at the edge
to medium-income countries – face
strong pressure of international
competition. Innovativeness and
internationalisation are key challenges
for the majority of Vienna’s companies
with regard to their survival and
growth. At the same time, the
relative importance of SMEs is rising
on account of their high start-up
dynamism and significant share in
value creation.
High share of migrant entrepreneurs.
The demographic change triggered by
migration is also reflected in this field:
In 2007, around 31% of self-employed
In recent years, the
City of Vienna, the
Vienna Business Agency
and the Vienna Economic
Chamber started to
increasingly recognise
and support the
performance achieved by
migrant entrepreneurs.
With their motivation,
international ties and
intercultural competence,
entrepreneurs with a
migration background
form a significant
potential for the further
Support for enterprises
with international roots.
In recent years, the City of Vienna,
the Vienna Business Agency and the
Vienna Economic Chamber started
to increasingly recognise and support
the performance achieved by migrant
entrepreneurs. With their motivation,
international ties and intercultural
competence, entrepreneurs with
a migration background form a
significant potential for the further
internationalisation of Vienna as a
business location.
Potential for the development
of the business location.
However, the connection between the
support for migrant entrepreneurship
and the internationalisation strategies
of Vienna has not been spelled out
2.2 Requirements Therefore, actions contributing
to the strategy area
“Internationalisation” should:
Core requirements
in the strategy area
“Internationalisation” support the internationalisation of
Vienna’s economy, in particular SMEs;
Against this backdrop, the core
strengthen Viennese entrepreneurs
with a migration background and raise
requirement for internationalisation
their visibility;
therefore is to tap the potentials of the
exploit the potentials of the
pluralistic, internationally integrated
urban society for Vienna’s business
communities living in Vienna for
and locational strategies and to
strengthening economic relations with
the countries of origin;
benefit from migration and social
position Vienna within the framework
diversity in economic terms: through
of its internationalisation strategy both
higher innovativeness, utilisation of
the intercultural competence available
in the regional (cross-border) and
in the population, attractiveness for
Central and South-East European
neighbourhood.
internationally mobile human capital,
migrant entrepreneurship, etc.

focused on strengthening Vienna’s
function as a hub in Central Europe
for many years. The economic
and social integration processes in
Central and South-East Europe (that
deepen in parallel with the continued
enlargement of the EU) as well as the
challenge involved in maintaining the
headquarter function achieved and in
intensified migration relations in this
region suggest that this strategic focus
should be strengthened with a view to
further opening up Vienna.
persons had a migration background.
In total, around 16,000 Viennese
businesses are run by entrepreneurs
with a migration background who
improve customer choice and
contribute to well-functioning supply
structures, but frequently have to cope
with a series of specific problems.
internationalisation
of Vienna as a
business location.
yet. The efficient design of international
procurement and supply chains and
the creation of a bigger trade volume
between Vienna and the countries of
origin still offer considerable growth
potentials that could be unleashed
through targeted support measures in
a better way.
Challenge of internationalisation
for science and research.
For the entire field of innovation,
research and tertiary education, too,
internationalisation and the raising
of international attractiveness and
competitiveness constitute key
challenges. In particular, the European
Higher Education and Research
Area offers opportunities, but also
challenges for

PAGE 18
3 Strategy area “Integration
& social inclusion”
3.1 Basic
assessments
Ambivalent balance after
decades of migration.
Vienna has benefited from migration
for many decades: Migrants have
made a significant contribution to
growth, affluence and employment,
rejuvenated the city and made it more
international. Still, this development
happened by chance rather than
being shaped deliberately or managed
with foresight. As a result, numerous
integration measures in the field of
employment, education and social
policy did not suffice to open up
social and economic advancement
processes for migrants.
Key challenges of
education and qualification.
The educational structure of Vienna’s
migrant population is strongly
polarised, and marginal positions
in the labour market are frequently
passed on to the next generations.
The marginalisation of poorly qualified
and educated persons constitutes
a central challenge for the social
inclusiveness of the city.
More opportunities
in the labour market.
Therefore, it is of great importance to
create more opportunities in the labour
market through educational reforms,
interculturally open further education
and training services and measures
promoting employment. The focus
should be especially on young people
and, among them, on persons without
completed schooling. Positive action
along these lines can significantly
facilitate measures to promote
labour market entry and careers for
disadvantaged groups.
Resilience of socio-spatial cohesion.
With regard to the local level and the
residential environment, Vienna has a
dense social infrastructure, community
and youth work supported by the
public sector as well as strategies of
subsidised, ‘gentle’ urban renewal
that allows lowincome households to
stay in their neighbourhood. However,
challenges for socio-spatial cohesion
arise in areas where social peripheries
directly meet and the structures of
community work react rather than act.
Needs-oriented start-up support.
Vienna experiences a considerable
and continuous inflow of newly arriving
migrants at all qualification levels both
from third countries and increasingly
from EU countries. Therefore, Vienna
needs even more differentiated
measures that support the
establishment process right from the
start, recognise existing qualifications
and lay the foundation for participation
in society, education and the labour
market.
Media & changes in social identity.
In a city characterised by immigration,
integration and social cohesion are
only possible if the receiving society
admits change and develops a new
self-perception as a social and political
community. A pluralistic society
requires an inclusive identity that is
based on achieving commonality
through openness and integrating new
influences. The media also play a key
role in forming and disseminating a
changed social identity.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 19
3.2 Requirements Therefore, actions
contributing to the strategy
area “Integration & social
Core requirements in the
strategy area “Integration & inclusion” should:
social inclusion”
support the establishment process
(also for migrants from EU-27) and
Against this backdrop, the core
facilitate access to “regular” systems;
requirement of the strategy area
open up this access also to persons
“Integration & social inclusion” lies
already living here for a longer period;
in dismantling barriers to social and
promote educational mobility and
economic advancement processes
labour market participation;
and in removing obstacles for
improve the housing situation and
the participation of all population
raise incomes;
groups in all spheres of social life.
strengthen inclusion and integration at
In addition to facilitating the start of
a small-scale level;
new arrivals, actions are to ensure
involve citizens with a migration
equal opportunities and equal rights,
background in development
permit involvement in decision-making
processes.
processes, safeguard equal access
to social resources and broaden
individual and collective freedoms and
competences.

PAGE 20
3 Eight Packages of
Actions for an Open Vienna
1 Shaping the open city The participatory
development and
Leadership & governance I
wide communication
of the agreed “Vienna
Charter of Living Together”
that is to cover the
key values of an open
urban society and lay
the foundation for living
together well in Vienna
constitutes an important
acid test for a proactive
communication
agenda appropriate
to diversity.
1.1 Communication agenda
for a diverse & open city
An action taken in the strategy area
Leadership &
governance
1 Rationale & objective
The communication challenge of a
diverse society. A pluralistic, diverse
urban society has to find a new way
of speaking about itself, its future and
its problems. A city in which 44% of
the population have international roots,
where the migrant population is highly
differentiated in terms of education and
income, where overlapping forms of
allegiance offer room for several cultural
reference points and where society
becomes a mosaic of diverse settings
– such a city does not have a “majority
population” any more. In this respect,
problems, such as social exclusion
tendencies or lacking opportunities for
access to education and income do
not arise because of migration but in an
increasingly complex society that is also
characterised by migration. Thus, the
issue is education in a pluralistic society,
social upward mobility in a pluralistic
society, poverty in a pluralistic society,
housing in a pluralistic society, etc.
A new way of communicating. In such
an environment, policy-makers and
administration can either address the
“long-standing residents” and the “new
arrivals” separately or spell out the tasks
in such a way that it becomes clear what
they really are: the common concerns of
citizens sharing a polity.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 21
Thus, the public and political debate has to Core message: public services
be re-oriented so that the implied dualism & equal opportunities for all. The
of “us” (the majority society) and “them” City can win the trust of all residents
(the migrants) is discontinued because it by particularly highlighting in its
is a construct that does not correspond to communications what it does to keep
social realities, only strengthens migration public goods, such as education,
sceptics and implicitly accepts the housing, health services, etc.,
discursive rules of the game of those who accessible for all and to achieve equal
pit population groups against each other. opportunities. This also implies,
however, that it has to honestly admit
Through such a change in perspectives, that access and equal opportunities
society will actually be able to arrive at may be at risk today wherever existing
the understanding that immigration and services – as they currently function –
a population with international roots cannot keep pace with the changed
constitute the normal situation that as such society (yet).
cannot be “the” problem. Only then, it will
be possible to achieve majority support The internal communication agenda.
for a perception of migration that sees The employees of the City of Vienna
immigrating people as a social, economic play a special role in this process since
and cultural potential enriching Vienna. they form part of the wide public of
the “Viennese population” on the one
The City’s responsibility: proactive hand and directly have to implement
communication appropriate to diversity. the integration-oriented diversity policy
On account of its factual significance and on the other hand. Hence, they act in
presence in the life of the Viennese, the a dual capacity. It is therefore a priority
City has to fulfil a leadership role. Policy- objective of an internal communication
makers and administrators will have to take and mainstreaming strategy to win their
the initiative and communicate proactively support for the political idea and the
if they do not want to be pushed into a process.
defensive role. Thereby, they can also
demonstrate that they know how to handle 2 Responsibility
social change and do not turn a blind eye & implementation
to it.inclusiveness of the city.
All administrative groups as this is a
The participatory development and wide horizontal issue
communication of the agreed “Vienna
Charter of Living Together” that is to cover Concerning the “Vienna
the key values of an open urban society Charter of Living Together”:
and lay the foundation for living together Contents of the coalition
well in Vienna constitutes an important acid government agreement
test for a proactive communication agenda Administrative Group “Integration,
appropriate to diversity. Women’s Issues, Consumer
Protection and Personnel”

PAGE 22
1.2 Respect, appreciation
& anti-discrimination
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Leadership & governance
Integration & social inclusion
1 Rationale & objective
Vienna’s attractiveness for migrants
and, hence, the success of Vienna as
a destination significantly depends on
a social climate that appreciates the
contribution that migrants make to the
city’s progress, respects them and is
free of all forms of discrimination. Being
recognised as fellow citizens with equal
rights and being able to live free of
rejection and ignorance are requirements
for social participation and identification
with the polity.
Given its anti-discrimination legislation
(in part, significantly exceeding the
specifications of the relevant EU
directives) that has been continuously
expanded since its adoption in 2004,
Vienna has instruments for an effective
anti-discrimination policy within the
scope of its own legal competencies.
Employees and clients of the City of
Vienna who are discriminated against
can contact the independent
Anti-Discrimination Office. In addition
to the provision of advice and mediation,
the core tasks of this Office also include
networking, the preparation of opinions
on draft legislation and fundamental
work on anti-discrimination issues. Anti-
discrimination campaign. Racism and
xenophobia have no place in Vienna.
Therefore, Vienna takes a stand for
diversity, openness and mutual respect
in a broad partnership. Among others,
a public campaign against racism and
xenophobia is to be initiated in a broad
alliance of policy-makers, business,
media and the urban society and to be
implemented within the framework of
the further measures agreed within the
framework of the European Coalition of
Cities against Racism. Moreover, anti-
racism work is to be promoted in a
targeted way in order to raise awareness
especially among young people. The City
of Vienna also commits to provide no
direct or indirect support to media and
publications disseminating racist and
xenophobic contents.
Vienna’s
attractiveness for
migrants and, hence, the
success of Vienna as a
destination significantly
depends on a social
climate that appreciates
the contribution that
migrants make to the city’s
progress, respects them
and is free of all forms
of discrimination.
2 Responsibility &
implementation
Contents of the coalition
government agreement
Administrative Group “Integration,
Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection
and Personnel”
Administrative Group “Education, Youth,
Information and Sports
Anti-Discrimination Office of the
Independent Officer for Occupational
Safety and Health
1.3 Participation
agenda for all Viennese
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Leadership & governance
Integration & social inclusion
1 Rationale & objective
One-fifth of the Viennese does not
have the right to vote in City Council
and Provincial Parliament elections,
efforts to involve the migrant population
in participatory processes do not
succeed in all cases and numerous
strategic decisions could benefit from
the consideration of a intercultural
perspective: In a systematic approach,
Vienna strives to improve the involvement
of the entire population in the democratic
life of the city.
The measures taken within the
framework of this initiative cover a broad
range and include:
New platforms for the dialogue with
migrants, their organisations, other
experts and multipliers;
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 23
Right to vote at the City Council level 2 Responsibility &
for EU citizens living in Vienna and at implementation
the City Council and district level for
third-country nationals; Contents of the coalition
government agreement
Lobbying for the required constitutional Recommendation of the Vienna
amendments at the federal level; Migration Commission 2009
Administrative Group “Integration,
Innovative forms of advisory Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection
committees with an intercultural and Personnel” with contributions by the
membership; Administrative Group “Urban Planning,
Traffic & Transport, Climate Protection,
Outreach methods of involving the Energy and Public Participation”
(migrant) population in small-scale
planning decisions and for participation
in shaping the immediate living
environment;
Outreaching dialogue forms that
encourage people to come together
and make it possible for them to find
common interests.
The results of the expert working group
on electoral reforms will form the basis
of key improvements by the end of
2012. The continued Vienna Migration
Commission can also play a decisive role
in the preparation and specification of
individual actions.

PAGE 24
1.4 Continuation of the
Vienna Migration Commission
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Leadership & governance
Internationalisation
Integration & social inclusion
1 Rationale & objective
Upon the initiative of the City Councillor
for Integration and the cross-party
Alliance for Integration, the Vienna
Migration Commission discussed
challenges and key action fields resulting
from future developments in the field
of migration from June to December
2009. Its report that, inter alia, contains
28 concrete recommendations for
action was presented to the public
in January 2010 (www.europaforum.
or.at/zuwanderungskommission). As a
result, Vienna has not only an important
basis for shaping migration and social
pluralisation in its own sphere of
action, but can also provide significant
inputs for the further development and
implementation of the National
Action Plan for Integration (NAPI).
The results and recommendations of the
Vienna Migration Commission received a
positive response from the policy-makers
who launched this initiative. Therefore,
the Commission will continue its work
as a specialised policy group entrusted
with the discussion of and reflection
on measures specified. In 2010,
three concrete initiatives were already
elaborated drawing on the expertise of
relevant specialists:
Positions and recommendations for
designing a criteria-based model for
occupation-oriented migration from
third-countries as a contribution to the
migration policy debate in Austria;
Preparation of recruitment and
information strategies for attracting
migrants from EU countries and –
on the basis of criteria – from third
countries (see also Action 3.1 of the
LAP);
Development of a proposal for a
comprehensive rearrangement of
the governance of migration and
integration policy in Austria with a view
to its mainstreaming.
2 Responsibility &
implementation
Contents of the coalition
government agreement
Administrative Group “Integration,
Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection
and Personnel” in co-operation with
the City Council groups of the Social
Democratic Party, the People’s Party and
the Green Party (Alliance for Integration),
subsequently all administrative groups
implementing recommendations of the
Vienna Migration Commission
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 25
1.5 Integration and
diversity monitoring
An action taken in the strategy areas: This monitoring tool significantly helps 2 Responsibility &
the City’s departments and offices in implementation
Leadership & governance developing diversity strategies. Starting
Integration & social inclusion in 2010, the monitor is to be prepared Contents of the coalition
regularly at biannual intervals. It has the government agreement
1 Rationale & objective potential of becoming a core element Administrative Group “Integration,
of mobility, diversity and integration Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection
In the form of the Vienna Integration and governance across administrative groups and Personnel”(Municipal Department 17)
Diversity Monitor 2009, an instrument in Vienna. and all other administrative groups whose
has become available that highlights the departments and offices are
status of social integration processes in involved in monitoring
Vienna and the extent to which measures
related to diversity management are
implemented
(www.wien.gv.at/integration/monitor.
html).
Integration monitoring is to allow for
a continuous observation of areas in
which integration takes place and can be
measured. Based on selected indicators,
it describes the social status quo of
Vienna’s population from the perspective
of integration policy and, by providing
guidance, also serves as a foundation
for strategic developments in the policies
and organisation of the City of
Vienna. Diversity monitoring, on the
other hand, analyses where the City of
Vienna stands in the implementation of
its approach to diversity management. In
line with the policy objectives defined
and the need for action in society that
results from integration monitoring,
it assesses the achievements of the
administration in adapting its services
and personnel development and the
requirements for future developments.
By integrating the two monitors, it is
possible to paint a picture of the status
quo of diversity management against the
backdrop of actions needed in
society and, building thereon, to identify
future key challenges.

PAGE 26
2 DiverCity 2.1 Proactive implementation
Leadership & of diversity management
governance II
An interdepartmental An action taken in the strategy areas:
working group is
Leadership & governance
developing a concept Integration & social inclusion
on how to raise the
number of employees 1 Rationale & objective
with intercultural and Vienna has a good basis for the
transcultural intensified implementation of diversity
competences. management measures in all areas
of administration and public services
in the years ahead. This foundation
includes the assistance resources of
Municipal Department 17 “Diversity and
Integration”, the instrument
“Diversity Check” for supporting
diversity-oriented organisational
development in the City’s departments
and offices as well as the steering
opportunities resulting as perspectives
from the monitoring of integration and
diversity in Vienna (see Action 1.5). In
concrete terms, priorities should be set in
three fields:
Opening up services in intercultural
terms: Platforms should be
established for developing common
standards, for disseminating best
practices among units and for further
networking the actors involved. They
should work on issues and aspects
of the diversity-compliant provision
of services that arise everywhere
and should involve especially those
offices that, because of a high level
of customer contacts, are particularly
important for diversity issues and that
have made concrete experiences.
Employees. The interrelated topics of
personnel development, strengthening
of intercultural competences of the
staff as well as recruitment and
career promotion of employees with a
migration background are to be dealt
with in a similar form. In this context,
a core strategy will be to raise the
share of employees with a migration
background in a targeted way based
on the related decision adopted by
Vienna’s City Council in June 2010.
An interdepartmental working group
is developing a concept on how
to raise the number of employees
with intercultural and transcultural
competences.
Targeted development of
department-specific measures.
In co-operation with Municipal
Department 17 “Integration and
Diversity”, individual units will
prepare and implement strategies
and measures for further developing
services portfolios in line with the
diversity of the clients.
2 Responsibility &
implementation
Contents of the coalition
government agreement
all administrative groups with
support by Municipal Dept. 17
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 27
2.2 Incentives for promoting
diversity-oriented practices
within the city administration
An action taken in the strategy areas: 2. Responsibility &
implementation
Leadership & governance
Integration & social inclusion Administrative Group “Integration,
Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection
1 Rationale & objective and Personnel” (in co-operation with the
The instruments currently used for the
Chief Executive Office)
intensified implementation of diversity
management at the City of Vienna aim
at raising awareness and setting the
agenda (e.g. Diversity Monitor), providing
technical support in the preparation
of development strategies (e.g.
Diversity Check) and topdown controls
(e.g. diversity objectives in contract
management). Experiences made with
other mainstreaming issues show that
offices develop innovative models in
many cases when there are internal
incentive systems within the city
administration that either showcase
exemplary approaches (“pilot offices”)
or provide for the allocation of additional
funds. This is illustrated by the PFIFFIG
award for the innovative promotion of
women and innovative gender equality
measures.
Therefore, it is worth considering a
regular “diversity call” within the city
administration under which departments
can either nominate their innovative
practices for an award or submit project
proposals in order to get support during
implementation.

PAGE 28
3 Inside & outside 3.1 Information and recruiting
Internationalisation strategies for mobility within
the EU and from third countries
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Internationalisation
Leadership & governance
1 Rationale & objective
Owing to current demands in
the labour market, foreseeable
demographic developments as well as
the requirements of the increasingly
knowledge-based economy, attracting
foreign labour and students becomes a
key factor for Vienna’s competitiveness
in the medium and long term. In
order to motivate migrants having the
qualifications needed in the labour
market to move to Vienna, we need
instruments and strategies for providing
information on immigration opportunities
and painting a realistic picture of them.
The smart, communication-based
management of migration flows grows
in importance because of the increasing
shift towards internal migration from
EU-27 as well as the plans of the federal
government for the new criteria-driven
regulation of occupation-oriented
immigration from third countries.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 29
In the field of the city’s external policy 2 Responsibility &
and location marketing as well as in implementation
labour market policy and start-up
support, the City of Vienna already Recommendations of the Vienna
has instruments in place that can play Migration Commission 2010
a major role in the implementation of Administrative Group “Finance, Economic
information and recruitment strategies Affairs and Vienna Public Utilities” in co-
and, subsequently, in the provision of operation with organisations representing
support to arriving migrants. These economic actors (Federation of Austrian
instruments can be used both within the Industry, Vienna Economic Chamber,
framework of a national information Chamber of Labour) and economic
and recruitment strategy and as a tool promotion agencies (Vienna Employee
for an autonomous information and Promotion Fund, Vienna Business
recruitment strategy. Potential migrants Agency, Austrian Business Agency)
who, with their skills, would strengthen
the human resource base and make
a special contribution to growth and
employment are to be addressed
especially through websites, information
disseminated in co-operation with mass
media, trade commissions abroad,
(city) administrations and professional
organisations in the relevant cities and
countries.
Owing to current
demands in
the labour market,
foreseeable demographic
developments as well as
the requirements of the
increasingly knowledge-
based economy,
attracting foreign labour
and students becomes
a key factor for Vienna’s
competitiveness in the
medium and
long term.

PAGE 30
3.2 Support and communication priority
for enterprises with international roots
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Internationalisation
Integration & social inclusion
1 Rationale & objective
Vienna pursues an active policy for
improving the perspectives of the
around 16,000 Viennese enterprises
with international roots. Although they
are active in all sectors and Vienna’s
business life can hardly be imagined
without them, most of them are small
companies and microenterprises that
have little own resources and face
problems in accessing funds required for
expansion. Traditional forms of enterprise
support are also less accessible for
“ethnic” entrepreneurs in many cases.
A core element of Vienna’s support
strategy therefore is a specialised
consulting and service unit within the
Vienna Business Agency (called MINGO
Migrant Enterprise), the establishment
of a diversity department at the
Vienna Economic Chamber and, as a
consequence, the development of an
easily accessible information and support
network for enterprises with international
roots. In addition, the multilingual
awareness campaign “Vienna’s economy
speaks all languages” highlighted the
contribution made by entrepreneurs with
international roots to the city’s economic
success.
Given the increasing importance of
migrant entrepreneurs for Vienna, this
area will also be given high priority in the
years ahead – both with regard to the
consulting and service measures and
the awareness dimension. For example,
more specific further training courses
will be offered for entrepreneurs with a
migration background.
2 Responsibility &
implementation
Contents of the coalition
government agreement
Administrative Group “Finance,
Economic Affairs and Vienna Public
Utilities (Vienna Business Agency) in
co-operation with the Vienna Economic
Chamber
3.3 Diversity agenda for
institutions active in foreign trade
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Internationalisation
1 Rationale & objective
Half a million citizens born abroad
constitute an invaluable potential of
intercultural experiences, language skills
and knowledge of countries from which
the Viennese economy can profit through
intensified exchange. Many countries
of origin develop rapidly, some of
them, such as Turkey and the Western
Balkan countries, are making progress
towards EU membership. With their
aboveaverage growth rates, Turkey, India
and China are examples of significant
potential markets of the future for
Vienna’s economy.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 31
Vienna would waste important 2 Responsibility &
opportunities if it did not see its migrants implementation
as economic as well as cultural bridges
to the countries of origin and as Recommendation of the Vienna
mediators and networkers in a globalised Migration Commission 2009
world. Today, many enterprises already Administrative Group “Finance,
tap the competences of employees Economic Affairs and Vienna Public
with a migration background in order to Utilities”
become fit for internationalisation and to
widen market opportunities. Enterprises
started up by migrants are frequently the
first and fastest companies that succeed
in entering markets and play a pioneering
role. Conversely, the availability of
multilingual employees with a migration
background who are familiar with several
cultures can motivate international
companies to set up branch offices in
Vienna and use the city as a gateway to
the EU market.
The public sector can play the role
of a facilitator here by ensuring that
service and support centres consistently
open up to intercultural aspects both
for companies expanding to foreign
countries and for companies setting
up business in Vienna. As a result, the
Vienna Business Agency, the Austrian
Business Agency and the trade
commissions of the Austrian Economic
Chamber can increasingly develop into
competence centres that make Viennese
companies and their employees fit for
entering the markets of target countries
from which migrants come to Vienna.
Conversely, they can better serve as
guides paving the way for enterprises
coming from the relevant countries to
Vienna. By initiating such an in-depth
diversity agenda for institutions active
in foreign trade, the City also especially
supports companies with international
roots founded in Vienna in exploiting
cross-border contacts for intensifying
Vienna’s trade relations.
 City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 32 PAGE 33

3.4 CENTROPE 3.5 An open Vienna as a hub for the Danube

mobility area region (EU Strategy for the Danube Region)

An action taken in the strategy areas:
Internationalisation
Leadership & governance
1 Rationale & objective
Since 2003, the Central European region
CENTROPE has been Vienna’s leading
project for shaping its cross-border
co-operation with the neighbouring
regions in the Czech Republic, Slovakia
and Hungary or – in other words –
Vienna’s internationalisation strategy
at its doorstep. The main focus of the
new project CENTROPE Capacity
(supported under the EU’s CENTRAL
EUROPE Programme) is on initiating
practice-oriented co-operation activities
up to 2012 – be it co-operation among
enterprises, joint programmes of
universities and research institutes, the
development of joint products in tourism
or spatial and transport planning co-
ordinated across borders.
Co-operation initiatives that are of special
importance for Vienna’s Open City
agenda include activities aimed at the
co-ordinated use and promotion of the
region’s human capital and at shaping
the common transnational labour market.
Cornerstones of this agenda may
include service facilities for improving
the provision of information on existing
employment opportunities or measures
of active labour market policy oriented to
common needs.
(http://www.centrope.com/en/centrope-
project/cooperation-areas/human-capital)
The 16 regions and cities that support
the CENTROPE initiative can jointly work
towards removing the last formal and
informal obstacles to complete mobility
within the EU in a small geographic area.
As the Austrian transitional provisions
ends by May 2011, the labour market
and mobility will be focal areas of joint
policy development.
2 Responsibility &
implementation
Contents of the coalition
government agreement
Administrative Group “Education, Youth,
Information and Sports”
Administrative Group “Urban Planning,
Traffic & Transport, Climate Protection,
Energy and Public
Participation”
(and sector-relevant administrative
groups for specific projects),
in a partnership with 15 additional
regions and cities
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Internationalisation
Leadership & governance
1 Rationale & objective
The EU Strategy for the Danube Region
taken forward upon the initiative of the
European Commission and the EU
Member States can become a new
framework for the internationalisation
strategy of Vienna in Central and South
Eastern Europe. The transnational
challenges existing in this region – the
development of integrated economic,
transport and mobility areas as well as the
improvement of governance structures
and transnational co-operation – are of
special importance for Vienna because it
holds a leading position as an international
business and scientific hub in functional
and spatial terms here. Therefore, the
further improvement of international
accessibility and the strengthening of
agglomerations are particularly important
for Vienna in addition to a better quality
of life and an open, but also reasonably
governed labour market.
Right from the start, the City of Vienna
intensively contributed to the development
of the Danube Region Strategy and not
only addressed the specific interests of
the cities and regions but, in particular,
also their significant role and potentials.
This was intended to create a basis that
is also attractive for cities and will be
available as a new European instrument
for the better co-ordination of co-
operation processes and the integration
of relevant EU programmes. This macro-
region strategy is also favourable for the
strategic internationalisation interests of
Vienna and should also be used for this
purpose.
Within the framework of the strategy
development process, in particular,
the four Austrian provinces along
the River Danube developed joint
position papers upon the initiative of
Vienna and, in co-operation with the
national level, were able to clearly
influence the themes addressed.
Vienna mainly focused on the priority
areas of improving sustainable
mobility through the enhancement of
multimodal nodes in agglomeration
areas (also as a location factor) and
the networking of agglomeration
areas especially with regard to the
transfer and implementation of urban
and environmental technologies and
urban development strategies. In this
context, it was always important to
improve the citizens’ quality of life on
the basis of well-functioning public
services of general interest and a
better governance system in the entire
Danube region.
Within the framework of the Action
Plan of the EU Strategy for the Danube
Region that was presented by the
European Commission on 8 December
2010 and whose implementation will
start in the second half of 2011, the
City of Vienna will not only make its
contribution through concrete projects
and specialised inputs in several of
its 11 priority areas, but will also co-
ordinate the priority area 10 “To step up
institutional capacity and co-operation”
together with Slovenia.
2 Responsibility &
implementation
Contents of the coalition
government agreement
Co-ordinator appointed (Chief Executive
Office, Executive Group for Construction
and Technology, Urban Planning Group)
in co-operation with all administrative
groups and units interested as well as
enterprises affiliated with the City of
Vienna.
Within the
framework of
the Action Plan of the
EU Strategy for the
Danube Region that
was presented by the
European Commission
on 8 December 2010 and
whose implementation
will start in the second
half of 2011, the City of
Vienna will not only make
its contribution through
concrete projects and
specialised inputs in
several of its 11 priority
areas, but will also co-
ordinate the priority area
10 “To step up institutional
capacity and co-
operation” together
with Slovenia.

PAGE 34
4 Crossing the threshold
Integration & social inclusion I
4.1 Start Vienna Plus
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Integration & social inclusion
1 Rationale & objective
The native-language start-up support
for new immigrants combines tailored,
personal initial counselling (start
coaching) with a series of general
information modules and consultations
important for living (together) in Vienna.
New arrivals from third countries
– primarily persons who join family
members already residing in Vienna –
receive understandable information (if
possible, in their native language) on
the so-called ‘integration agreement’
required by federal law, the various
counselling services, German-language
courses, employment opportunities, the
legal framework and on living together
in Vienna immediately after their arrival
or after obtaining the authorisation of
establishment. Other essential elements
include second-level start coaching
(exchange of experiences on the first
months in Vienna, discussion of further
issues in groups in the migrants’ native
language) as well as the Viennese
education booklet with language
vouchers and other documents handed
over to the new immigrants during start
coaching.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 35
This model introduced in 2009 that 2 Implementation
is guided by needs orientation and
attractiveness for migrants has proved Contents of the coalition
highly effective by reaching more than government agreement
85% of the target group. The provision Administrative Group “Finance, Economic
of startup support to new arrivals will Affairs and Vienna Public Utilities” in co-
also remain an indispensible element operation with organisations representing
of the strategies for an internationally economic actors (Federation of Austrian
open Vienna that is well prepared Industry, Vienna Economic Chamber,
for continuous migration inflows in Chamber of Labour) and economic
the future. A key component is the promotion agencies (Vienna Employee
identification of competences within Promotion Fund, Vienna Business
the framework of the initial meeting for Agency, Austrian Business Agency)
providing labour market information
in order to ensure a fast entry into
the labour market in line with the
qualifications.
It has to be borne in mind, however, that
EU citizens now account for around 50%
of annual immigration. Like third-country
nationals, they have individual needs
for information, orientation, guidance or
support and assistance. Vienna’s start
coaching, including start-up help and
education vouchers, is to be expanded
in such a way that immigrating EU
citizens also can widely enjoy this
service. A mentoring system will be
initiated as well. Voluntariness, flexibility,
needs orientation and attractiveness
of the follow-up support services will
remain the cornerstones of the model.

PAGE 36
4.2 German-language
competence and basic education
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Integration & social inclusion
1 Rationale & objective
Vienna continues its measures ensuring
affordable and easily accessible German-
language classes. The City will adjust the
offering under the so-called “language
initiative” to current requirements and
develop a multiannual plan in order to
make sure that citizens residing in
Vienna have a sufficient command of
German for autonomously mastering
everyday life. New services are to be
designed especially for people already
living in Vienna for a long period so that
old gaps are closed.
Continuation of the “Mum learns
German” programme to empower
women to participate in all areas of
society by acquiring the German
language and to support and help
them to comply with the integration
agreement.
Expanding the language courses
offered especially for children and
young people (holiday language
classes for “late comers” and
children with poor marks in German,
German classes combined with social
coaching).
Measures for older migrants who have
lived in Vienna for many years.
Vienna maintains the system of
language vouchers and, in parallel,
campaigns for a nationwide funding
concept so that access is guaranteed
for all.
Education and training for poorly
educated people: Special measures
and programmes building on “Mum
learns German”, e.g. the women’s
college and the “Future Train” project,
are to prepare female
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 37
2 Implementation
Contents of the coalition
government agreement
Administrative Group “Integration,
Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection
and Personnel” (Municipal Department
17)
The City will adjust
the offering under
the so-called “language
initiative” to current
requirements and develop
a multiannual plan in order
to make sure that citizens
residing in Vienna have
a sufficient command of
German for autonomously
mastering
everyday life.

PAGE 38
5. Occupation in line
with education Integration
& social inclusion II
The implementation
of the European
qualification framework
ECVIT (a “conversion”
instrument that makes
national qualifications
comparable and
understandable
throughout Europe) is to
be actively supported and
advanced. With regard to
the certification of partial
or informal qualifications
and practical professional
experiences obtained
abroad, Vienna can work
towards new solutions
together with the federal
government. Related
model projects can be
implemented at
the Viennese level.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 39
5.1 Package of measures for
recognising qualifications & ensuring
occupation adequate to education
An action taken in the strategy areas: In this context, special attention should 2 Responsibility &
be given to supporting migrants with implementation
Integration & social inclusion higher vocational qualifications and
Internationalisation university graduates. In spite of valuable Recommendation of the
qualifications and adequate professional Vienna Migration Commission
1 Rationale & objective experiences, they frequently have Administrative Group “Finance, Economic
difficulties in finding a qualified job. The
A major share of the migrants cannot actual recognition of their education
Affairs and Vienna Public Utilities” (Vienna
Employee Promotion Fund)
put to use their qualifications and involving the completion of missing
professional experiences – to their own parts of study courses very often is
detriment and to the detriment of Vienna not possible, does not make sense
as a business location. There are already or requires great efforts. “Bridging
independent advisory and support measures” offer specialised qualifications
services to prevent their de-qualification. so that the relevant additional knowledge
Additional services for validating existing required in Austria can be acquired and
qualifications can build thereon – within complemented by German and English
the leeway that Vienna has as a federal for professional purposes as well as
province. Above all, they should include handson training. It would be important
late qualification opportunities so that to co-operate with and establish
links to universities and universities of
certain education elements can be
applied sciences that also award related
completed in a modular system, the
targeted promotion of the recognition certificates/diplomas.
of certificates and diplomas as well
as support for enterprises in taking
account of non-Austrian qualifications.
The implementation of the European
qualification framework ECVIT (a
“conversion” instrument that makes
national qualifications comparable and
understandable throughout Europe) is
to be actively supported and advanced.
With regard to the certification of
partial or informal qualifications and
practical professional experiences
obtained abroad, Vienna can work
towards new solutions together with
the federal government. Related model
projects can be implemented at the
Viennese level.

PAGE 40
6. Education for upward
social mobility Integration &
social inclusion III
6.1 Kindergartens as
the first educational and
integration institution
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Integration & social inclusion
1 Rationale & objective
The City of Vienna recognises the special
importance of kindergartens as the first
educational and integration institutions
with regard to learning the German
language, appreciating multilingualism
and acquiring social competence. The
good position held by Vienna in the
field of child care, which was reinforced
by the recent introduction of free
kindergarten attendance, is to be further
improved.
More kindergarten places. The City
of Vienna will intensify the expansion of
child-care services offered especially
for children aged up to three years. A
regional supply plan will be drawn up
with the aim of reaching the Barcelona
objective (33% coverage for children
aged 0 to 3 years). For children aged
1 to 3 years, Vienna has set itself the
target of raising the current coverage of
approximately 42% to 50% depending
on the availability of budgetary resources.
1
Mandatory last year of kindergarten and, if necessary, one preschool year.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 41
Early promotion of German-language 2 Responsibility &
competence and expansion of implementation
bilingual models. Within the framework
of improving German-language Contents of the coalition
competence in kindergartens, the government agreement
targeted promotion of language skills is Administrative Group “Education, Youth,
to provide each child with the command Information and Sports”
of German required for a successful Administrative Group “Integration,
start of schooling. Moreover, the City of Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection
Vienna promotes the increased use of and Personnel”
bilingual models in order to support
multilingualism in early learning
programmes at Viennese kindergartens.
Interface between kindergartens
and schools. By making the last year
of kindergarten mandatory, a step
was taken towards optimising the
development of all children one year
before they enter school so that they
will have a sufficient command of the
German language at that time. The
promotion model 1+11 will be evaluated
comprehensively and, if appropriate, it
will be adapted.

PAGE 42
6.2 School and
equal opportunities
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Integration & social inclusion
Leadership & governance
1 Rationale & objective
Promoting German-language
competence at schools. Integration is
actively supported through numerous
measures that cover not only the
students but also the teachers and
parents at all types of Viennese schools.
For many years, Vienna has taken
diverse pedagogical (support) measures
and initiatives. An essential objective
is to ensure a good command of the
German language as a prerequisite of
good educational achievements and the
completion of education programmes.
Vienna is committed to integrative and
parallel supplementary instruction in the
field of school education. The number
of assistant teachers will be raised. In
language development classes, children
have the opportunity to learn the basics
of the German language in small groups.
This model that has been applied since
2006/2007 is mandatory for all children
whose command of the German
language needs to be improved.
Appreciation of multilingualism/first
languages as an important resource.
A good command of the native language
is essential for learning another language,
consolidating the children’s identity and
supporting intercultural education based
on the appreciation and equal status of
all languages. Vienna is committed to
expanding mother-tongue instruction and
will also increase bilingual programmes
with native speakers at Vienna’s
compulsory education schools.
Completion of compulsory schooling
for all. The percentage of young people
who are hardly able to write and read
in such a way that they understand the
meaning of texts is too high. The current
offer of courses leading to a basic
secondary education certificate will be
evaluated and optimised. In addition,
a new model will be developed for
students at lower secondary schools to
ensure that all young people have a good
command of and skills in the cultural
techniques and
the foundation required for vocational
training after the completion of
compulsory education.
Free learning assistance. The City of
Vienna is working on a model that gives
pupils and students from low-income
households access to free learning
assistance at the site of their own school
as far as possible all over Vienna. The
necessary resources are to be made
available by linking learning assistance
with the acquisition of practical
experiences by prospective teachers
(co-operation with the University of
Education and other universities).
Reading mentors: Developing reading
skills in a partnership with civil
society. Within the framework of the
“Reading mentors” project, volunteers
practice reading with children at schools.
The commitment of the mentors not only
allows for the individual, intensive support
of children with poor reading skills and,
hence, constitutes an important help for
teachers, but also paves the way to a
better understanding of different realities
in families with a migration background
in the receiving society and thereby
to mutual respect and intercultural
competence. Through the cooperation
among committed citizens, civil-society
implementing organisations and primary
schools, the project is a model for
innovative and needs-oriented forms
of integration assistance based on
activating civil society.
2 Responsibility &
implementation
Contents of the coalition
government agreement
Administrative Group “Education, Youth,
Information and Sports”
Administrative Group “Integration,
Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection
and Personnel”
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 43
6.3 Measures against dropping out
of and for succeeding in education
An action taken in the strategy areas: 2 Responsibility &
implementation
Integration & social inclusion
Leadership & governance Contents of the coalition
government agreement
1 Rationale & objective Recommendation of the Vienna
Migration Commission 2009
A reduction of the number of teenage Administrative Group “Education, Youth,
drop-outs and more opportunities for Information and Sports”
young people to complete higher-level Administrative Group “Integration,
education programmes can be achieved Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection
by an improved management of the and Personnel”
interface between schools, labour market Administrative Group “Finance, Economic
actors and out-of-school youth care. Affairs and Vienna Public Utilities”
Preventive social work and education
coaching is to support students at the
risk of dropping out, assist parents A reduction of
and encourage young people to the number of
undergo further training. This measure teenage drop-outs and
is motivated not only by the aims of
equal opportunities, integration and
more opportunities
social cohesion, but also by the goal of for young people to
securing Vienna’s future competitiveness complete higher-level
as a knowledge-based service
metropolis where almost half the young
education programmes
people aged 15 to 19 years today have a can be achieved by an
migration background. improved management
of the interface between
The elements of a related initiative
include the expansion of the “social
schools, labour market
work at school” pilot project for easing actors and out-of-
the burden of all parties involved at the school youth care.
interface between students, teachers,
parents and youth welfare services,
the integration of projects addressing
the interface between school and
occupation/further schooling into regular
programmes and further services at
the interface of out-of-school youth
work. Educational ambitions can be
strengthened by raising awareness,
disseminating information and providing
stimuli in co-operation with associations
and media of the communities and by
providing support in the realisation of
these ambitions.

PAGE 44
7. Social welfare services &
nursing care for all Integration
& social inclusion IV
7.1 Diversity agenda
for mobile social
welfare services
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Integration & social inclusion
Leadership & governance
1 Rationale & objective
At all levels of mobile services, a stronger
diversity orientation is to be achieved
in co-operation with the Federation of
Vienna Social Welfare Organisations and
migrants’ organisations.
In recent years, comprehensive
knowledge of diversity-oriented and
culturally sensitive approaches was
developed in projects, studies and
everyday practices of the organisations
providing social welfare services. The
further development of diversity-oriented
services should be facilitated by taking
stock of these insights and experiences.
The promotion and support of
diversity management relates not only
to measures raising the awareness
of beneficiaries for openness and
diversity but also to the intensification
of nativelanguage advice, care and
assistance. This can be achieved, for
example, by the targeted recruitment
and employment of persons who have a
migration background themselves, speak
the languages of the countries of origin
and can input intercultural perspectives
for social work, mobile care and social
welfare services, health care and fields of
(social) therapy activities.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 45
Persons with a migration background 2 Responsibility &
who are interested in the relevant implementation
training programmes in the diverse fields
of mobile care and assistance are to Administrative Group
receive adequate support in achieving “Public Health and Social Affairs”
this occupational objective (courses for
improving the command of the German
language both before and in parallel
to training and work, review of access
regulations and framework conditions
of the training programmes, revision
of training curriculums, accompanying
reflexion and further development of
approaches for the culturally sensitive
provision of care in the home help and
nursing care teams, etc.).
At all levels of
mobile services,
a stronger diversity
orientation is to be
achieved in co-operation
with the Federation of
Vienna Social Welfare
Organisations and
migrants’
organisations.
 City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 46 PAGE 47

7.2 Mobile care

for elderly migrants

An action taken in the strategy areas:
Integration & social inclusion
1 Rationale & objective
The demographic change of Vienna
resulting from migration and rising life
expectancy increases the need for care
services among persons with a migration
background.
To ensure that the public services can
really be used, they have to be designed
in a culturally sensitive way and need to
take account of special communicative
and life-style requirements (e.g. with
regard to everyday family, social and
religious life, eating habits). Since
experiences from the countries of origin
and from past stages of life can be of
great importance especially in old age, it
is necessary to involve persons with a
migration background and migrants’
organisations as experts into the
planning and development of services in
this field.
In addition to outreach services, 2 Responsibility &
intercultural meeting places are also of implementation
relevance in this context. By involving
elderly people in the design of such Administrative Group
services, it is to be ensured that they “Public Health and Social Affairs”
respond to the needs. Only if the needs
of an increasingly diverse population are
integrated in all fields of the care system,
the current quality standards can be
maintained or raised in the medium and
long term.

In the field of mobile care services, the

experiences of the Vienna Social Fund
and its cooperation partners (in day-care
centres, visiting services, native-language
counselling services for senior citizens,
etc.) show that there is demand for easily
accessible services with a high diversity
orientation and for information and
assistance need among elderly migrants.
Based on taking stock of these findings,
such services can be continuously
developed, professionalised and put on
a broad foundation in co-operation with
relevant implementing organisations
within the framework of the focal area
“migration and age”.

To ensure that the

public services
can really be used, they
have to be designed in
a culturally sensitive way
and need to take account
of special communicative
and life-style
requirements

PAGE 48
8. Neighbourhood power
Integration & social inclusion V
8.1 Neighbourhood development for
social inclusion and community building
An action taken in the strategy areas:
Integration & social inclusion
Leadership & governance
1 Rationale & objective
In Vienna, there is a need for community-
oriented neighbourhood development
taking equal account of and linking social
problems and issues of upgrading urban
spaces. While there is a high density of
“regionally” active structures, they are
largely oriented to specific functions and
are not co-ordinated systematically. For
example, the local urban renewal offices
focus on upgrading the physical urban
structure, whereas the “wohnpartner”
(neighbourhood service for tenants of
Vienna’s public housing) concentrate on
community development and conflict
management in public housing estates.
The Grätzelmanagement (neighbourhood
management) offices of the Business
Agency primarily support entrepreneurs,
the regional offices of Municipal
Department 17 “Integration and
Diversity” network migrants’ associations
and district institutions, Municipal
Department 13 and its partners promote
youth work in neighbourhoods and free
spaces, LA 21 processes depend on
grass-roots initiatives, the STEP urban
development target area management
agencies are mainly dedicated to
(brownfield) urban expansion areas,
earlier areabased upgrading initiatives
were tied to EU programmes with a
fixed term (URBAN, Objective 2), etc.
Most of the offices mentioned above
cover areas going far beyond the direct
neighbourhood level.
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 49
What is missing to date, however, are 2 Responsibility &
structures for a comprehensive and implementation
continuous small-scale neighbourhood
development for social integration. Contents of the coalition
In terms of area management, all the government agreement
relevant aspects would be continuously Administrative Group “Housing, Housing
input into development processes Construction and Urban Renewal”
oriented to social space on the basis of
interdisciplinary expertise across Vienna.
Therefore, new neighbourhood-related
governance structures are to be created
within the framework of an appropriate
programme.
On this basis, local networks can
develop that take the upgrading agenda
forward, provide stable structures for
communicating with decision-makers,
enterprises and the local population and,
hence, support long-term processes
for social improvement and economic
promotion. Both during the planning
and strategy development phase and
during the implementation of measures,
partnership-based co-operation and
management methods are to be
developed and applied that also permit
disadvantaged groups to participate in
the development of their neighbourhood.
Additionally, appropriately structured
data on neighbourhoods are an
important basis for concrete measures
ensuring social inclusion. Such a
neighbourhood monitoring would
significantly contribute to fighting poverty
and social exclusion and to promoting
social inclusion and integration in
neighbourhoods characterised by
migration.

PAGE 50
4 Annex Members of the
Local Support Group
Core and
development group
Eugen Antalovsky (Europaforum Wien)
Birgit Binder (City of Vienna, Municipal Municipal Dept. 35 – Immigration,
Dept. 18 – Urban Development and
Planning)
Clemens Horak (City of Vienna,
Municipal Dept. 18 – Urban
Development and Planning)
Karin König (City of Vienna, Municipal
Dept. 17 – Integration and Diversity)
Angelika Losek (British Council Vienna)
Birgit Nikles (City of Vienna, Municipal
Dept. 27 – EU Strategy and Economic
Development)
Christine Petioky (Vienna Social Fund)
Wolfgang Vevera (City of Vienna,
Municipal Dept. 27 – EU Strategy and
Economic Development)
Alexander Wolffhardt (Europaforum
Wien)
Extended development and
reflection group 2009/2010
Elisabeth Assmair (City of Vienna,
Citizenship and Registry Offices)
Shams Asadi (City of Vienna,
Independent Officer for Occupational
Safety and Health)
Martina Bach (ÖROK – Austrian
Conference on Spatial Planning)
Evelyn Benrazougui-Hofbauer (City
of Vienna, Municipal Dept. 17 –
Integration and Diversity)
Norbert Bichl (Beratungszentrum für
MigrantInnen – information centre for
migrants)
Andrea Binder-Zehetner (Local Agenda
21 Vienna)
Florian Brand (Local Urban Renewal
Office for the 16th district)
Eva Gassner (City of Vienna, Municipal
Dept. 53 – Press and Information
Services)
Ilse Göll (Federal Chancellery)
Karin Kienzl-Plochberger (Verein
Wiener Sozialdienste – association of
Vienna social welfare services)
Michael Kofler (dieloop.at agentur
für kommunikation, communication
agency)
Gustav Lebhart (City of Vienna,
Municipal Dept. 5 – Finance, Budget
and Statistics)
City Of Vienna
OPENCities Local Action Plan
PAGE 51
Barbara Liegl (ZARA - Zivilcourage
und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit – moral
courage and antiracism work)
Eva Maria Luger (Dachverband Wiener
Sozialeinrichtungen – federation of
Vienna social welfare organisations)
Andrea Mann (Local Urban Renewal
Office for the 16th district)
Alexis Nshimyimana Neuberg (Radio
Afrika)
Bernhard Perchinig (Danube University
Krems, University of Vienna)
Daniela Piegler (City of Vienna,
Municipal Dept. 13 – Education, Out-
of-School Activities for Children and
Young People)
Kurt Puchinger (City of Vienna, Chief
Executive Office, Executive Group for
Construction and Technology, Urban
Planning Group)
Christoph Reinprecht (University of
Vienna, Department of Sociology)
Peter Stanzl (City of Vienna, Municipal
Dept. 24 – Health Care and Social
Welfare Planning)
Reinhard Troper (City of Vienna,
Municipal Dept. 27 – EU Strategy and
Economic Development)
Monika Unterholzner (Vienna Business
Agency)
Gabriele Zimmermann (City of
Vienna, Municipal Dept. 18 – Urban
Development and Planning)
PAGE 52

URBACT is a European exchange and learning programme

promoting sustainable urban development.
URBACT II

It enables cities to work together to develop solutions to

major urban challenges, reaffirming the key role they play
in facing increasingly complex societal challenges. It helps
them to develop pragmatic solutions that are new and
sustainable, and that integrate economic, social and
environmental dimensions. It enables cities to share good
practices and lessons learned with all professionals
involved in urban policy throughout Europe. URBACT is
300 cities, 29 countries, and 5,000 active participants.
URBACT is co-financed by the ERDF Funds and the
Member States.

www.urbact.eu/opencities
www.opencities.eu

OPENCities is a British Council project funded by URBACT and led by Belfast City Council in collaboration with a network
of European cities. The partner cities include Bilbao, Cardiff, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Nitra, Poznan, Sofia and Vienna.