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 aim is to improve the quality of seawater and to provide a better environment for the marine life
The Finnish Ministry of the Environment is seeking to change the law on environmental protection, more specifically to ban the practice of dumping snow into the sea. The aim of the proposed amendment is to reduce seawater pollution and protect marine life. As things stand, the restrictions would mostly affect the capital Helsinki as this is where the practice of cleaning snow and then disposing of it in the port is a common practice.
It’s not the snow itself that is the problem but the fact that when it falls in the urban environment and then gets swept up it gets mixed with sand and other debris, such as plastics, cigarette butts and trash.
This garbage has different effects on marine animals. Animals can get stuck in bigger pieces of trash and microplastics can end up in animals' digestion tracts and then back [to humans] in the food chain," says Henna Rinne, an environmental specialist at the ministry, as quoted by Yle.
Dumping snow into the sea is easy and convenient as it is just adding water to water, plus it avoids the problem of having to put away all that frozen mass on land where it takes space until warmer temperatures arrive. Nevertheless, other Finnish cities, such as Oulu and Turku, dump their excess snow on land, rather than in the water.
In the Finnish capital, snow duping is most common near the port areas. Other districts, however, resort to using the so-called snow dumping grounds.
In 2019, the City of Helsinki agreed in principle that the practice must be abandoned. Yet, bureaucracy gets in the way since the Regional State Administration Agency has granted a permit for sea dumping valid until 2031. It thus remains unclear when the practice will be abandoned for good.
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