TheMayor.EU logo 
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
Heat waves are becoming a normal part of life in cities and authorities are trying to tackle the persistent issue, Source: City of Vienna
Heat waves come to mind when thinking about summer in big cities. Vienna has been doing a lot to cool urban spaces and it all fits together
In the summer, cities get hot. All that concrete, asphalt and thousands of cars retain a lot of heat from the sun and radiate it back for hours into the night. In some cases, it can get so bad that according to the Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation, surface temperatures in cities can reach 70° C, more than enough to cook an egg.
Cities across Europe are trying a variety of methods to keep temperatures down and Vienna’s concept is an outlier when it comes to comprehensive planning and climate adaptation. The Austrian capital is a leader when it comes to climate change measures with nonstop initiatives, that cover everything from circular district heating projects to its own organic food brand.
But they also deal with climate adaptation measures, meaning, finding ways to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, like extreme heat. The city’s concept includes water spray systems, traffic calming, greening measures, as well as a more complex funding mechanism for adapting microclimates in Vienna’s districts. And all this is linked together on an app, called ‘Cooles Wien’ (Cool Vienna), which can help citizens find a place to cool off in the summer.
The app shows current temperatures around the city and helps guide citizens to cool areas, including parks, shady trees, mist showers and public bathing spots. These features are included on a digital map of the city and a bar offering weather forecasts.
Water is central to the cooling concept of Vienna, as there are still a lot of areas where there is a lack of city vegetation that can do the job naturally. This includes a smart cooling system in many public space, which creates a cool mist. The smart thing about it is that it uses the ambient temperature to turn on the tap and when temperatures drop, it turns off automatically.
This year, the city expanded this concept, as City Councillor Ulli Sima unveiled the new ‘Cool Ships’ (Cooles Schiff) – a water sprinkling system that produces a water curtain. The installations include a public sitting space and people who really need to cool down can just sit under the spray. It is also a bit of water-driven fun for the urban summer.
City Councillor Ulli Sima, testing out the Cool Shipsm, Source: City of Vienna
The Austrian capital has also launched numerous greening and traffic-calming measures across the city, with the motto "Get out of the asphalt" (Raus aus dem Asphalt). One example is Thaliastraße, in the heart of the 16th district. The popular shopping street is being redeveloped to feature 88 new trees and numerous perennial beds, water features and large-scale soil unsealing. This feature will have a significant impact on the local densely built-up district.
Local authorities have also launched the ‘Liveable Climate Model City’, which provides a fund of 100 million euros. The fund makes 25 million euros available to districts for climate adaptation projects until the year 2025, that are supposed to increase the quality of life in public spaces.
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
