Shopping in the city centre: 5 out of 10 Upper Austrians want to ban cars

Austrians prefer to shop in a large chain, in shopping centers or specialty retail centers (30 percent), with a parking space right outside the door, in Upper Austria even 34 percent.

Three quarters of those surveyed travel there by car; in Upper Austria, the figure is as high as 85 percent. Among those under 30, a quarter use the train or bus, while only nine percent of those over 50 do so.

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“Convenience plays a major role in Austrians’ shopping behavior,” says Michael Rajtora, one of three board members of Immobilienrendite AG. “Those who don’t buy online like to shop nearby or with a parking space right in front of the store.”

Cycle paths and parks instead of roads

Three out of ten respondents consider the range of services in the city centres to be rather inadequate. Many also find the traffic annoying: In Upper Austria, 52 percent of respondents would like more cycle paths and parks instead of road expansion. Almost five out of ten Upper Austrians are in favour of a car-free city centre.

How are the goods then delivered to the shops? “I don’t care,” say 29 percent of under-30s across Austria. Among those over 50, however, only seven percent see it that way.

“Anyone who wants thriving city centers has to accept, to a certain extent, roads, delivery traffic and logistics hubs,” says Mathias Mühlhofer, CEO of Immobilienrendite AG. “But of course, parks with shade-giving trees are also needed for shopping breaks and the urban microclimate.”

Online shopping is only in third place, with 21 percent of respondents shopping there. 12 percent of Upper Austrians value small boutiques and shops.