At the end of the year, we would like to take a brief look back at the past two months, during which we at Metropolitan Innovation Action had the opportunity to address the question “How can our build environment be transformed sustainable and eco-friendly?” as part of a collaboration with the Vienna University of Economics and Business:
The conference “Altbau in der Klimakrise” (climate adaption existing housing stock) on November 3, 2025, was organized by the Institute for Civil Law and Civil Procedure at WU Vienna with the kind support of the Immobilien Privatstiftung and designed in cooperation with MIA GmbH. The conference followed on from the WU Matters Talk “Klimakrise als Reformmotor des Wohnrechts?” (Climate Crisis as a Driver of Reform in Housing Law?) on June 5, 2024, and continued the discussions begun there in a practice-oriented setting.
Photos © Andreas Neureiter on behalf of MIA GmbH and the Institute for Civil Law and Civil Procedure, 2025.
In an interdisciplinary collaboration between experts from the fields of law, legal practice, and technical renovation, we were able to use specialist presentations on best practices in renovation and legal classification, as well as work modules based on these, to identify the levers that are possible under the current legal framework.
In particular, the perspective of landlords (tenancy law) and ownership (Condominium Act) in renovation practice was examined.
Among other things, the co-creative collaboration provided insights showing that, despite existing challenges, targeted communication, moderation, and consulting can significantly increase the acceptance and implementation of climate adaptation measures. In addition, minimally-invasive technical solutions are easier to achieve in terms of the required majority decision. Economic incentives and transparent funding models increase predictability and willingness to invest. Interdisciplinary collaboration and sharing concepts are also needed. New contract models can support this. This opens up a promising path that makes it possible to adapt existing buildings as a valuable resource for the benefit of the environment, while at the same time acting in the interests of tenants and owners.
Photos © Andreas Neureiter on behalf of MIA GmbH and the Institute for Civil Law and Civil Procedure, 2025.
Conclusion: An inspiring day full of knowledge transfer, practical perspectives, and genuine collaboration in the co-creative work modules.
Thank you to all participants, contributors, and speakers for the lively exchange—and to the Institute for Civil Law and Civil Procedure (Prof. Stefan Perner and team) at WU Vienna for the fantastic collaboration and trust in our work.
We will definitely continue our efforts: making old buildings climate-friendly means shaping the future! Interdisciplinary collaboration is innovation and progress.
Organizer: Institute for Civil Law and Civil Procedure at WU Vienna.
With the kind support of Immobilien Privatstiftung.
