Turning Ideas into Action: Reflections from the Science for Policy Hackathon Pitch Event

On January 15, 2026, the Policy Hackathon Pitch Event marked the culmination of the intensive, practice-oriented Urban Research to Practice: Science for Policy course focused on enabling students to engage with the science-policy interface and develop evidence-informed urban sustainability policies tailored for the City of Vienna. After ten weeks of collaborative work, experimentation with diverse methods, and iterative rounds of research and development, five student teams presented their final policy proposals to a public audience and distinguished jury. The following five pitches reflected the breadth and ambition of the course, and the student’s semester long development of problem statements tailored to the Viennese context.

• Food for Thought: How Education and Media Can Reduce Vienna´s Food Waste Problem
• Future Pathways: Future Mobility is Shaped on the School Commutes Today
• Begrün mir mein Wien: A One-Stop Platform for Community Greening in Vienna
• Reclaiming the Curb: Reducing Residential On-Street Parking in Vienna´s Densely Built Neighborhoods
• Wi(e)nterproof City: Rethinking Non-Commercial Public Space During Winter in Vienna

The event underscored the core objective of the course: building capacities at the science–policy interface. Students demonstrated not only analytical rigor, but also the ability to communicate across disciplines, engage with real-world constraints, and work collaboratively under time pressure. The five pitches collectively illustrated that policy innovation is not about perfect solutions, but about credible, well-argued proposals that can travel between research and  practice.

The jury consisted of three experts: Caroline Krecké, the Sustainability and Communications Officer at ÖKOBÜRO and Coordinator of SDG Watch Austria, Pia Minixhofer from the Director’s Office for Climate Affairs at the City of Vienna, and Timo Bühler, Coordinator at the University of Vienna´s Environment and Climate Research Hub. Their feedback emphasized clarity of problem framing, feasibility within existing governance structures, and the ability to balance innovation with political and administrative realities. The jury discussion itself became a valuable learning moment, offering students an insider perspective on how policy proposals are assessed beyond the classroom.

Following careful deliberation, the jury selected two winning teams. Begrün mir mein Wien stood out for its compelling one-stop approach to urban greening, which uses a digital approach to synthesize participation opportunities and support citizen-led initiatives. The second winner, Reclaiming the Curb impressed the jury with a bold yet pragmatic rethinking of street space, addressing mobility, public life, and environmental goals through targeted regulatory and design interventions. The winning teams received passes for the upcoming European Geosciences Union (EGU) Conference, a tour of the UNO-City in Vienna, and some UniVie merch.  In addition, they had the opportunity to present their pitches at the Environment and Climate Hubs lecture series ”Environment, Climate, Sustainability” on January 21, 2026.