Vienna has its first green hydrogen plant
The facility will be able to power 60 buses daily
It is the same country where traffic circles were first introduced
Driving into, and out of, a roundabout isn’t always the most pleasant task for drivers but then again when you have more than two streets crossing it seems logical to solve that junction conundrum. Plus, they are more sustainable as they reduce traffic jams and idling, and thus, emissions.
Anyone who has driven in European cities may have noticed that roundabouts are part and parcel of the urban landscape there. And it shouldn’t be surprising as it was on this continent where they were first introduced.
In fact, it happened at a place that most of you might be familiar with, the Place de l’Etoile which surrounds the Triumphal Arch, one of the symbols of Paris. Meaning The Star Square, due to the 12 avenues radiating from it, its shape dates back to even before the French Revolution.
It was also the site of the first carrefour à girations (or gyrating crossroad) proposed by city architect Eugène Hénard, who concluded that with the increasing traffic on the streets of Paris there was a need for a more rule-based crossing of large squares. Thus, in 1907, the first roundabout was inaugurated there officially with the stipulation that vehicles on the right had the right of way.
Traffic circles with rules were then quickly adopted by other European nations. Yet, it is also France that holds the title for having the most roundabouts on its territory. According to Statista, which used some volunteered research as background, there were 967 roundabouts per million residents in that country in 2020. Spain is second with 591 roundabouts per million inhabitants and the UK is third with 489 per million.
Given how the French have embraced the roundabout concept most enthusiastically among other nations, one would expect that this is also where we would find the city with most of the traffic circles. Almost. Nantes, in France, is a city where one in every 23 intersections is a roundabout making it number one in Europe.
However, it’s the virtually unknown city of Carmel, in the State of Indiana (USA) that takes the cake in that ranking, where one in every 17 road junctions is a traffic circle. It even calls itself the Roundabout Capital of the United States.
The rest of the top 10 list of roundabout-loving cities, however, is all filled with European municipalities. Here’s a look:
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The blaze has been dubbed the Danish capital’s own “Notre Dame” tragedy
Two million euros will go towards the effort that will try to refresh its original splendour
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The German Aerospace Center in Cologne is looking for volunteers for its next bed rest study
The project aims to urge pedestrians to live even healthier lives
The intervention has affected the mountainous districts of the Catalan capital
Two million euros will go towards the effort that will try to refresh its original splendour
There’s even a dedicated route of these objects in the southern Spanish region
The project aims to urge pedestrians to live even healthier lives
The blaze has been dubbed the Danish capital’s own “Notre Dame” tragedy
There’s even a dedicated route of these objects in the southern Spanish region
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
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team