Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
Experts from the global organization have taken into account chronic factors that threaten the integrity and existence of the iconic Italian city
Experts from UNESCO are recommending that the historic core of Venice should be placed in the World Heritage Sites in Danger list next month when the World Heritage Committee meets in Riyadh.
This time, however, apart from the regular issues plaguing the city related to climate change, depopulation and overtourism, the international heritage body is pointing the finger at the Italian authorities for not doing enough to save the unique lagoon city.
According to UNESCO, the Italian government has simply failed to produce any meaningful and working plan to safeguard the coastal city, which has been increasingly under pressure from human and environmental factors. The organization added that Italy “has not been communicating in a sustained and substantive manner since its last Committee session in 2021, when UNESCO had already threatened to blacklist Venice”, according to Reuters.
Putting the Lagoon City on the list of endangered sites is meant to be a last resort and a signal to the Italian authorities that they need to take matters into their hands and act. On that list, Venice will likely be in the company of the war-impacted Ukrainian cities of Odesa, Lviv and Kyiv (also to be added to the list in September).
There is criticism towards Italy that it hasn’t taken advantage of the EU Recovery Fund financing to develop coherent plans to protect its coastal cities and make them more resilient. Scientists predict that by the end of the century, there will be a relative rise in sea level somewhere between 44 and 76 centimetres.
That would mean that most of the time the mobile barriers protecting the Venice lagoon from the tides would have to stay up, which in turn would change drastically the ecosystem of the water body, making the city unlivable in the long term.
So far as tourist management is concerned, critics say the current mayor Luigi Brugnaro has achieved nothing - all his attempts to control visitor numbers through a system of ticketing have proven unworkable.
Nevertheless, a spokesperson for the Venice municipality told Reuters the city "will carefully read the proposed decision published today by the Center for UNESCO's World Heritage Committee and will discuss it with the government".
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