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The first time in over half a century that a tramway will run through the heart of the city
The idea dates back even to Antiquity, but how feasible is it?
The idea dates back even to Antiquity, but how feasible is it?
This Nordic country doesn’t want to wait for the last war bullet to sound off before starting reconstruction
The cultural and victim remembrance facility will be located in Rome
Many municipalities instituted privileges for EVs to promote sustainable mobility. Now, a lot more people are driving electric, so maybe it’s time to normalise legislation
The city wants new approaches to developing the urban environment and is willing to fund the best solutions
Around 75% of German CO2 emissions come from the private sector, yet less than 1% of businesses are considered fully sustainable
The city has a strategy of putting 10,000 human-controlled and autonomous shuttles on the streets by 2030
Last week, the Chinese app was banned for Belgian federal employees for an initial period of six months
Some of the most productive solar installations in the city are on listed buildings, such as Red City Hall
Authorities have published two maps, one of the roofs and the other – of facades so that locals can make the right decision when choosing green energy
The first time in over half a century that a tramway will run through the heart of the city
The city has a strategy of putting 10,000 human-controlled and autonomous shuttles on the streets by 2030
It will open its doors in 2024 and offer cremations and burials
The building will be on the site of Plato’s Ancient Academy
The cultural and victim remembrance facility will be located in Rome
Successful candidates get a card allowing them to perform on the premises of the transit system
The city has developed its own way to teach young people how to react when they witness unjust treatments
The city will supply and maintain 138 dispensers in public buildings
Find out which European region has the highest longevity, and which one the lowest
The Nordic country has topped that symbolic but prestigious classification for six years in a row now
Government officials from the Barcelona City Council holding up the ECoD award, Source: Ajuntament de Barcelona
The Catalan capital will host events, spanning 2023 and 2024, to affirm the values that Europeans hold closest to their hearts
Today, the City of Barcelona was announced as the holder of the first-ever title of European Capital of Democracy (ECoD). Both the announcement and the award were given today at the Barcelona City Hall, with the news that the city will host events starting from September 2023 and continuing for one year until August 2024.
Barcelona impressed the jury (made up of 2,500 members from all Council of Europe member states) with different innovative projects. Among these is the Decidim platform, for citizen participation, developed in 2016 and which has been implemented in hundreds of cities around the world. Barcelona also presented the participatory process related to the Superilles as an urban transformation project that has counted on citizen participation to consult, deliberate and design the spaces.
The city also included participative budgets, the most participated process in the city, with more than 70,000 people registered to decide the fate of 30 million euros in investments in the districts; and deliberative citizen assemblies, such as the Youth Forum and the Climate Assembly.
The goals of Europe’s newest “capitalship” contest
Europeans have made it a modern tradition to shine the spotlight on different cities of their continent by promoting their good work in a specific sphere. The ECoD is thus the latest initiative in that regard, and it comes at an opportune and much-needed moment, what with the resurgence of war and propaganda in the Old Continent.
The main promoter of the initiative is The Innovation in Politics Institut GmbH, a European organization whose main objective is to promote democratic innovation and democratic strengthening in Europe and internationally. In addition, this initiative has the support of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, and European actors who seek to deepen democracy such as the Democratic Society, the German Marshall Foundation, and twenty other relevant actors.
On the occasion of the awarding of the status, Barcelona’s mayor Ada Colau issued the following statement: "In a global context where hate speech and authoritarianism are growing, cities must be the place to work together with citizens to strengthen democracy. We take this challenge as an opportunity to progress in democratic innovation, to cooperate with other cities and to ensure that the neighbours have an active role in public policies".
The first time in over half a century that a tramway will run through the heart of the city
The cultural and victim remembrance facility will be located in Rome
Many municipalities instituted privileges for EVs to promote sustainable mobility. Now, a lot more people are driving electric, so maybe it’s time to normalise legislation
The city has a strategy of putting 10,000 human-controlled and autonomous shuttles on the streets by 2030
Last week, the Chinese app was banned for Belgian federal employees for an initial period of six months
Authorities have published two maps, one of the roofs and the other – of facades so that locals can make the right decision when choosing green energy
The first time in over half a century that a tramway will run through the heart of the city
The city has a strategy of putting 10,000 human-controlled and autonomous shuttles on the streets by 2030
The product launch will mark the 10-year anniversary since the city started working with ethically sourced products
The city has developed its own way to teach young people how to react when they witness unjust treatments
The cultural and victim remembrance facility will be located in Rome
Find out which European region has the highest longevity, and which one the lowest
The new itineraries are part of the DiscoverEU programme, which lets 18-year-olds travel by train between important European sites
The European Commission has published its first progress report charting the achievements of the socio-cultural movement that combines beauty, inclusion and sustainability
The 2023 edition of the creative initiative promises to be bigger, bolder and more inclusive
A talk with the head of Mission Zero Academy on the benefits for municipalities if they go the zero waste way
A talk with Nicolae Urs, one of the key figures behind the city's new data platforms and online services strategy
Veni Markovski’s take on dealing with disinformation in the European Union's poorest country – Bulgaria
