Belgium will host Europe’s biggest sportainment park
The facility will be located in Hasselt and is set to welcome its first visitors this spring
Even smokers felt positive about the change and supported the new policy
Now that the summer of 2022 is officially in wraps it’s time to look back and tally the results. In the case of Barcelona’s first full season with a smoking ban on the city’s beaches – it went better than expected since no fines were handed out by the authorities for lighting up on the sand.
The reason for that wasn’t that there were no infractors caught in the act, but rather because the policy pursued by the control authorities consisted of two steps: first warn, and only fine (up to 30 euros) in case of non-compliance. It turns out, all the beachgoers who lit a cigarette either put it out immediately or moved to the street to finish their smoke.
Eloi Badia, Barcelona's councillor for climate emergency and environmental transition highlighted that the law outweighed expectations as eight out of 10 citizens, whether they smoke or not, believed the prohibition was a positive thing.
In fact, the citizens seem to have been informed and aware of the new ordinance in place, and not the least because there were well-placed signs on the beaches. In fact, the prohibition seems to have not spoiled anyone’s mood, as the figures in several respects are better than expected.
In 2021 authorities did a pilot test on four beaches. Back then, the number of smokers was reduced to 3%, while this year, it dropped to 0.97%, according to Barcelona's beaches' information services.
What’s more, almost five million people went to the beach from 9 April to 25 September, a record number not seen since 2016. In July alone, over 1.5 million people went to the beaches in Barcelona, making it the month with the highest attendance this summer.
It turns out that ban or no ban, people were just happy to return to normality and outdoors after two years of pandemic uncertainty. However, 72% of beachgoers also reported seeing some cigarette butts, something the city council believes is because of beach parties at night.
Citing concerns about humaneness, the legislation aims to discourage the proliferation of the so-called designer pet breeds
Naturally, many aren’t happy - not because of the reduced possibility for prayers, but because they felt it was an attack on welfare
The facility will be located in Hasselt and is set to welcome its first visitors this spring
Some autonomous shuttles in France are now doing their rounds without a human supervisor inside
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38,000 of these fellas help to purify the city air, so why not become friends with them?
2020 and 2021 were zero years for these types of events, but the break has not diminished its reputation
As Europe strives to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, Turku and Dijon are among a group of cities seeking to reach this goal two decades earlier
Some autonomous shuttles in France are now doing their rounds without a human supervisor inside
2020 and 2021 were zero years for these types of events, but the break has not diminished its reputation
Citing concerns about humaneness, the legislation aims to discourage the proliferation of the so-called designer pet breeds
The facility will be located in Hasselt and is set to welcome its first visitors this spring
The European Commission has published its first progress report charting the achievements of the socio-cultural movement that combines beauty, inclusion and sustainability
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This initiative seeks to integrate the values of the New European Bauhaus into the European Commission’s 100 Cities Mission
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A conversation with the mayor of Utrecht on the occasion of her mission to COP27
A conversation with the President of the European Committee of the Regions, about energy, climate change and the underrated importance of cohesion policy