More than 400 proposals for safe, climate-friendly, and practical everyday mobility: In the ideas competition on the future of mobility in Salzburg, citizens shared their experiences and proposed solutions via the IdeaSpace platform, operated by Salzburg Research. The winning ideas have now been selected. They will be incorporated into the catalog of measures for the City of Salzburg’s Mobility Plan 2040.

Digital engagement with IdeaSpace

From March 1 to April 30, 2026, Salzburg residents could submit, discuss, and refine their proposals online. Four workshops were also held in various neighborhoods. Salzburg Research provided the digital infrastructure for the participatory process through IdeaSpace. The platform allows knowledge and experiences from the public to be collected in a structured way, made visible, and incorporated into planning processes.

“Digital participation can effectively complement the dialogue between the city and its residents because it highlights ideas that stem from people’s daily lives. With IdeaSpace, we are creating a structured environment in which citizens can share and develop their experiences, needs, and solutions,” says Dr. Birgit Kolb, IdeaSpace manager at Salzburg Research.

Awards for concrete mobility solutions

The winning proposals include green residential streets, safe routes to school, a wayfinding system for the main bicycle network, and faster bus connections. Other ideas include autonomous electric micro-shuttles, the establishment of a mobility agency, more diverse urban planning, sustainable package stations, and converting a parking lot on the banks of the Salzach into a public green space.

The community award went to the proposal to establish shared spaces, also known as temporary school streets, in front of schools and kindergartens. The award for the best youth project went to the walking and biking groups organized by the community to promote safe routes to school.

From citizens to actionable measures

A 14-member expert jury and the IdeaSpace community evaluated the submissions in a two-stage process. The criteria included the contribution to mobility goals, feasibility, and degree of innovation, among others. Environmental and social impacts were also considered in the evaluation.

The City of Salzburg is conducting a technical review of the winning ideas and will incorporate them into the catalog of measures for the 2040 Mobility Plan. The winners will be honored at the Salzburg Mobility Day on September 17, 2026.

Further details, all categories, and the winning entries can be found in the press release for the ideas contest.

The City of Salzburg and zukunftswege.at held the ideas competition via the IdeaSpace platform, which is operated by Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft.