Prague reveals design plans for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall
The Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition
The energy crisis in the European Union is putting strain on municipalities as they see their bills quadruple
Europe’s energy price crisis is far from over and it is hitting cities in unexpected places. Yesterday, the mayor of the Bulgarian town of Lom, Georgy Gavrilov, announced that the municipality will turn off street lights in most of the city. He also stated that all municipal buildings are ordered to conserve as much energy as possible, save for kindergartens.
The announcement came after similar measures from the towns of Smolyan, Pomorie, Gorna Oryahovitsa and 50 other local administrations in the country.
The move is due to Lom’s December electricity bill, which is nearly four times higher than that from December 2020. The former bill totalled about 15,000 euros, while this year it is around 60,000 euros.
Now, the city has decided to turn off the lights from 18:00 to 23:00 and from 5:00 to 7:00. A notable exception to the rule are the central ‘Dunavska’ and ‘Slavyanska’ streets.
Mayor Gavrilov stressed that businesses, as well as the municipality, purchase their electricity on the free market. He believes that the Bulgarian government needs to step in and establish a form of compensation for local governments.
A notable counterexample to the situation in Lom is the municipality of Sliven. Back in October, when the European energy crisis was just kicking off, local authorities decided to react and put an estimate on the jump in prices, as well as possible long-term solutions to the problems of electricity supply.
One idea that has been gaining traction in the local council since then is the construction of a municipal photovoltaic (PV) system. While the city has not put forth a concrete project yet, debate in the local council has centred on putting out a public tender.
In October, the city estimated that its electricity bill will quadruple from an average of 500,000 euros. The recent bill, though, sits at around 1.7 million and according to Mayor Stefan Radev, Sliven can handle the pressure.
Yesterday, he came out with the proud announcement that local authorities do not need to economise their current consumption drastically and that a bit of micromanagement could yield sufficient results. He also reaffirmed the city’s plan to work towards establishing local energy production as the main way out.
The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports
The summer ticket will be valid on local and regional trains, buses, as well as on the U-Bahn and S-Bahn
The Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition
The city also added a new bathing area
The new Walking and Cycling Index shows that an overwhelming majority want to live in 20-minute neighbourhoods
Explore the underbelly of the city’s most iconic site in the moonlit hours
The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports
Close engagement initiatives with the business sector and residents were key to spreading the idea across the board
The new Walking and Cycling Index shows that an overwhelming majority want to live in 20-minute neighbourhoods
The city also added a new bathing area
The installation of the sensors is part of its “Smart Museum” project
Authorities want to do away with the passive status of nature in the city
These will be spread across 11 EU countries and will serve to support the EU Missions
The European Commission has accepted to develop the idea
An interview about AYR, one of the 2021 New European Bauhaus Prize winners
An interview with Nigel Jollands and Sue Goeransson from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
An interview with the President of the City of Athens Reception & Solidarity Centre
A talk with the Mayor of Malmö on the occasion of the city’s UN Resilience Hub status