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
A conversation with the mayor of Utrecht on the occasion of her mission to COP27
Sharon Dijksma is the 332nd mayor of Utrecht. She has served in this position since 2020.
In 1994 she was elected as a Member of Parliament for the PvdA (Dutch Labour Party). She was State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science from 2007-2010, State Secretary for Economic Affairs from 2012-2015 and State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment from 2015-2017.
From 2018-2020 she was the alderman for Traffic and Transport, Water and Air Quality of the Municipality of Amsterdam.
The main message I brought was that cities should be included in global policymaking on climate and the upcoming climate summits. Without cities, it will be impossible to tackle global warming. Moreover, cities want to lead the way. They facilitate innovation and have the capacity to invest on a large scale in clean mobility, green construction and creating a sustainable energy supply.
It was an exciting first step, but we need to make sure that this Ministerial will become a structural item on the agenda of future COPs as well. To make sure we won’t lose momentum, we should strive towards a more prominent role of cities in the international climate agenda.
It is time for real multi-level collaboration on all levels to keep the Paris goal of 1.5 degrees alive. A way to do so is to include cities in the Nationally Determined Contributions submitted to the UNFCCC.
Simply put, we have no time to lose. Heatwaves, extreme droughts and floods threaten the already vulnerable parts of our world. It is vital that we set our sights on the action at both COP27 and beyond, with the important goal of ensuring that the parties that can make a difference make their voices heard.
Good question. I believe that many cities have always played a part as a frontrunner of progressive climate policies but were simply never granted both financial aid and influence on national and international levels. I hope that with our efforts, cities’ voices will be heard more loudly in the future.
Utrecht has an extensive network of bike infrastructure throughout the city to encourage clean and healthy transportation. And we also have the biggest bike parking garage in the world.
Recently we have even turned a four-lane highway that used to be a historic canal going straight to the city, back to its original state. Now rainwater can be stored, and nature is allowed to flourish again.
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
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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