Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The swimming complex promises innovation and recycling of water and waste heat , Source: City of Sint Niklaas on Facebook
Sint-Niklaas aims to build one of the biggest swimming complexes in the Benelux
Yesterday, local authorities in Sint-Niklaas in Belgium, announced the construction of a new massive swimming complex and recreation area, that will be powered entirely by renewable energy. The complex is Sportkringpark and it will be one of the biggest of its kind in the Benelux.
It is aimed to address the swimming facilities shortage in the city and with the project set to complete in 2024, authorities will triple current capacity. The complex will be built through a public-private partnership, with the company ‘Sportkringpark’ having the right to operate the facility for the next 30 years.
At the same time, tickets will be partially financed by the city, meaning that they will remain quite cheap for citizens. The whole project will cost around 35 million euros for the central facility and 2 million for the surrounding area, where the project calls for the construction of a car park and bike lanes.
A swimming pool consumes a lot of energy. The water needs to have a constant temperature and the building also needs to be comfortably warm. In fact, according to the city, due to carbon taxes and rising energy costs, the existing Sinbad swimming pool is the most energy-intensive public building in Sint-Niklaas.
This is why devising a 100% renewable energy system for the large complex was a very important step in the project. Sportkringpark will have to power one Olympic-sized swimming pool, two smaller ones, a wave pool and a baby pool.
On top of that, there will be a water slide park and a Finnish-style sauna. By any stretch of the imagination, that is a lot of infrastructure. So, how do they plan to power the complex?
First of all, it will have a green roof providing some carbon offset, as well as a photovoltaic system. However, in terms of heating, the complex will use a riothermal system, extracting heat from sewage water from the biggest wastewater collector in the city – passing right next to the building.
On top of that, authorities have said they plan to use a low chlorine treatment and recycle as much water as possible, through rainwater collection and filtration systems.
The building will then serve as the site for a new museum dedicated to Finnish-Russian relations
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The previous mayor was forced out of office following a no-confidence vote in the city council
In addition, the federal government has launched the National Week of Action against Bicycle Theft to raise awareness of the issue and the new solution
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
Italian cities and regions continue experimenting with creative proposals to curb overtourism effects
In addition, the federal government has launched the National Week of Action against Bicycle Theft to raise awareness of the issue and the new solution
The initial legislation didn’t include these public areas as restricted places for smoking pot
Italian cities and regions continue experimenting with creative proposals to curb overtourism effects
The building will then serve as the site for a new museum dedicated to Finnish-Russian relations
You can see it in a church in the city’s northern districts and it’s larger than a basketball court
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