This Belgian town will pay you to protect your home from burglars
And it will also advise you on the right way to do this
And they are not in the European Union
Vienna losт the top spot on the Global Liveability Index for 2021 published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The capital of Austria held this position from 2018 to 2020 but has slipped down to 12th place this year. Currently, there are no EU cities in the top 10 of the Index.
The survey was conducted between 22 February and 21 March 2021, and, unsurprisingly, the results have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. During this period many EU countries, including Austria, were battling second or third waves of Covid-19.
Compared to six months ago, there is a nearly 5-point drop in the overall score. Healthcare conditions worsened markedly in Prague (Czech Republic) and Athens (Greece), as during that period COVID-19 cases were on the rise and it was increasingly difficult to find a hospital bed and access to quality healthcare.
The biggest drops in the ranking of cities from 140 countries are in Germany. These are Hamburg, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf as they fell to 47th, 39th and 50th place respectively.
It is not all bad news though. Barcelona and Madrid gained 25 points for healthcare because their healthcare system coped better with the pressure compared to the previous wave of Covid-19.
The average overall score has fallen by 14 points since 2019. However, some countries around the world had lifted restrictions since September 2020. This, in turn, contributed to a favourable change for their cities. This is particularly noticeable in the East-Asian and Pacific regions that have come to dominate the list.
Top 10 cities:
There is no doubt that with the rollout of the vaccine and the effectiveness of contact tracing, the livability of EU cities is going to fluctuate over the coming months. Barring some huge setback, such as the emergence of vaccine-resistant variants, overall scores should improve.
The Recovery Plan for Europe is a potential game-changer for the region as it provides a chance for municipalities to set a new agenda for the future by tackling multiple issues at once.
And it will also advise you on the right way to do this
Despite the good news, preliminary data from the national census reveals a dire shortage in the housing market that will not go away anytime soon
The innovative project received funding from the participatory budget in Lille, France
Abandoned fishing gear is one of the most dangerous threats to the marine environment, but also to divers and underwater heritage
The town of Makarska has recently launched a new mobile service, aiming to cut down on paper use and stimulate citizens to go contactless
The invention promises to be revolutionary as it can decouple food production from agriculture and its environmental impacts
Abandoned fishing gear is one of the most dangerous threats to the marine environment, but also to divers and underwater heritage
Trenitalia has announced that it wants to reduce the phenomenon of domestic animals being left behind alone while their owners go on holidays
The property, together with others that have been confiscated, will be converted for social welfare uses
Trenitalia has announced that it wants to reduce the phenomenon of domestic animals being left behind alone while their owners go on holidays
The property, together with others that have been confiscated, will be converted for social welfare uses
The city also led awareness-raising actions to show the impressionable youths how circularity is created first-hand
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
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