Case study: Austria

Graz, Austria’s second-largest city (300,000 residents). Home to 50,000 students—roughly 10% of its population—and experiencing 95,000 daily commuting inflows, it combines a dense historic centre with post-war suburban sprawl, shaped by its automotive industry legacy. Despite having robust tram and cycling infrastructure, car use remains dominant (41% modal share), and cycling among 18–25-year-olds has dropped from 31% (2018) to 24% (2021). The city is advancing a 15mC-oriented master plan and is actively investing in sustainable mobility.

Klosterneuburg, on the edge of Vienna, is a wealthy commuter town (57% car modal share), attractive to affluent professionals. Though well-connected by S-Bahn and buses, young people (~7% of the population) face limited local job options, rising housing costs, and a strong gravitational pull from Vienna.

T-PATH-UP15 will build on collaborations with the Climate-Neutral Cities Network and the Trans|formator:in project, which supports transformation of public space. Co-learning initiatives—like Trans|formator:in’s “buddy system” between city officials and researchers—will amplify the participatory and cross-sectoral ambitions of T-PATH-UP15. Graz and Klosterneuburg will serve as contrasting testbeds for 15mC applications in both high-density and affluent suburban contexts.