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 highly contested decision was approved yesterday with a minor margin
Yesterday, the Municipal Council of Grenoble adopted a new regulation on municipal pools. The changes de facto authorise wearing burkini, as well as topless bathing, as French media report. The decision on burkini, in particular, follows a heated and lengthy debate and was passed by a fragile majority.
A highly contested debate took place at the building of the Metropolis of Grenoble yesterday, under the close media observation and public scrutiny of some 200 people, gathered in front of the building. The reason: the proposed new regulation on municipal pools.
And while there were several changes on the agenda (including the mandatory accompaniment of children under 12, and the obligation to wear bathing caps), it was one point that most attracted the public and political attention for several hours on - swimwear.
As Le Monde reports, Article 10 prohibits loose shorts and T-shirts (for hygiene-related reasons) and imposes “specific fabrics for swimming, fitted close to the body”, which can cover the arms and legs. Hence, after 1 June, access to municipal swimming pools in Grenoble is allowed with swimwear, but without limits on its length. This way, without explicitly naming it, the regulation de facto authorises burkini, which is a novel and highly contradictory measure.
The latter is testified by the fact that the majority to vote for the change was just 29 to 27 with only 2 councillors abstaining. The disapproval came mostly from the opposition councillors but also from 13 councillors from the majority of green Mayor Eric Piolle's group, including his deputy-mayor. The motive for the decision, as Piolle puts it, is so that pool users (men and women) are able to dress as they please.
Burkini represents a long-fitted type of swimwear for women which covers the entire body, except for the face, hands and feet. It's most popular among Muslim women and is associated with religious freedoms or rather – the lack of personal such, as imposed on women. Thus, the burkini is taken as a type of wear that imposes on women a moral need to cover their bodies.
This makes the social and political aspects of the issue more salient in a country that takes pride in its laïcité or secularism – the separation of state from religious institutions.
The decision made Grenoble only the second French city to authorise burkini, after Rennes in 2018.
See also: A first for Germany - this summer, Göttingen allows topless swimmers in public pools
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