Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
Participants in the Pact of Free Cities Mayors' Summit pose ahead of the meeting, Source: Gergely Karácsony on Facebook
On the margins of the conference, 20 new cities have joined the Pact of Free Cities founded by the Visegrad Four capitals
The inaugural Budapest Forum for Building Sustainable Democracies is being held on 16-17 September at the Central European University in the Hungarian capital. The forum organizers - Budapest Municipality, Political Capital, and CEU Democracy Institute, aim to retrieve Budapest’s place on the region's progressive intellectual map, turning the forum into an annual event.
In the opening speech, the Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony drew attention to poverty in democratic societies, which he said is not simply a failure of social policy, but a damage to the credibility of democracy.
The purpose of the conference, which is attended by Hungarian and foreign experts, journalists, activists and policymakers, is to provide a forum for strategic thinking on the cardinal political, social, economic, and environmental transformations affecting Hungary, the wider region and the entire world. Inviting thinkers to formulate innovative and bold ideas, the Forum seeks to find solutions to the challenges, rather than simply keeping an eye on them.
The first edition of the Budapest Forum focuses on cities, local initiatives, and building sustainable democracies.
During the two-day conference, the following topics are covered:
On the margins of the conference, the Pact of Free Cities Mayors’ Summit was also held, where the pact founders expanded the city alliance brought to life in December 2019 by the Visegrad Four capitals.
The meeting at the New Town Hall was attended by 26 cities at the mayoral level, in person or via a video conference connection. The participants adopted a joint statement in which they reconfirmed their commitment to work together for the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law, the implementation of progressive and sustainable urban policies, and against all forms of ideological exclusion.
20 new cities joined the alliance: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bécs, Gdansk, Frankfurt, Florence, London, Los Angeles, Ljubljana, Neu-Ulm, Paris, Podgorica, Rijeka, Stuttgart, Taipei, Taoyuan, Tirana, Ulm, Vienna, Zagreb.
The Pact of Free Cities is a progressive, open city alliance founded by mayors Gergely Karácsony (Budapest), Matúš Vallo (Bratislava), Rafal Trzaskowski (Warsaw) and Zdeněk Hřib (Prague) on 16 December 2019 in Budapest. The objectives of the association are to protect the values of liberal democracy, pluralism, openness and cultural diversity, to promote better access to European Union resources and to exchange experiences on good urban practices and policies.
Since its launch, the mayors of the Pact of Free Cities have spearheaded an all-European lobbying drive for directly accessible EU-funding. They also reached out to other mayors sharing the same views (e.g. London and Istanbul) to enhance cooperation and progressively expand the network.
Silesian is spoken by about half a million people in the south of the country
Legislators and magnates have to await a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice
The building will then serve as the site for a new museum dedicated to Finnish-Russian relations
The tool helps identify undeclared swimming pools and garden sheds
It will serve as a virtual companion to the municipal network of libraries in the country
In addition, the federal government has launched the National Week of Action against Bicycle Theft to raise awareness of the issue and the new solution
The tests are also experimenting with a charging point that is easier to maintain
Reportedly, the aim of the local government is to curb violence and disorder among the youth
The city thinks that it’s time to update pet-related street cleanliness rules for the 21st century
Yes, you guessed it right, that also includes baguettes and cheeses
Reportedly, the aim of the local government is to curb violence and disorder among the youth
Silesian is spoken by about half a million people in the south of the country
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team