What’s land recycling? Read about this German example
The city of Flensburg got a grant from the regional government of Schleswig-Holstein so that it would avoid building on new land
The Budapest Mayor addresses press conference on withheld public transport subsidy , Source: Gergely Karácsony on Facebook
The Hungarian government is withholding 12 billion forints (EUR 32.7m) worth of subsidy for the city transport system
To prevent a collapse of Budapest’s public transport system, the Hungarian government should immediately transfer the subsidy worth HUF 12 billion (EUR 32.7m) it owes to the city under the budget law, Mayor Gergely Karácsony told a press conference on Thursday.
The municipal council demands that the government honours its obligation to reimburse the Municipality of Budapest for the difference between ticket sales revenues and public transport operational costs, said Karácsony.
The Mayor recalled that in the vast majority of European cities, the state finances about a third of public transport expenditures, while in Budapest the Hungarian state contributes to just 7 percent of the budget. In 2021, the Municipality of Budapest will spend approximately HUF 120 billion on the operation and development of public transport, informed Karácsony.
The Mayor emphasized that the capital “cannot and does not want to scrape together the missing 12 billion forints” from other allocations, depriving ongoing projects, but warned that there is a clear risk of public transport services being reduced due to a budget shortfall.
He repeated his claim that the Orban government is punishing the people of Budapest for the loss of the 2019 local elections, stressing that in the ten years of (his predecessor) István Tarlós' tenure the government has not once failed to transfer the transport subsidy beyond the deadline, or to send the draft grant agreement to the municipal council.
Citing actions that strip opposition councils of much-needed revenue, Karácsony blamed the government for abolishing the car tax, increasing the so-called solidarity contribution fourfold, deducting HUF 80 billion in business tax, jeopardizing the drinking water supply with a “meaningless” water utility tax, practicing public waste collection on a lavish scale, and impeding public transport by blocking preferential loans.
In response, the Ministry for Innovation and Technology asserted that the government would “pay its share instantly, as soon as the city signs the agglomeration cooperation agreement” - a document the Mayor claims he has not seen to this date.
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
His name is Adrian-Dragoș Benea from Romania
Find out her vision for the next five years and what’s in store for the European Union
Gotland wants to be at the forefront of this emerging mobility technology
It’s all about preventing the habit of slowing down just for the radar
Landkreis Heilbronn will also enlist the help of sensors to identify incorrectly filled organic trash bins
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
The Old Continent gets ready for the largest festival of sports
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
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
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital