Greek municipality sets out to build largest park in the Mediterranean
The development of the “Urban Grove of Panorama Pallini” will cost EUR 1 million
Greece / Development / Green City
Panorama of the main building of Liege University, Source: Liege University on Facebook
Liege University published guide to help cities monitor and evaluate Smart City projects
Belgium
Top 6
- Ghent acts against diminishing water supplies
- Leuven and Elva named Best European City and Town for Sports in 2021
- Ghent distributes all skin shades colour pencils to tackle racism in schools
- Belgium introduces tax for flights under 500 kilometres
- Donate old electronics and get trees – a new push to reforest Flanders
- Ghent celebrates the unique Day of Philosophies of Life
Belgium / Green City / Social City
Ghent acts against diminishing water supplies
Local authorities have decided to try and unseal as much of the soil as possible, while creating rainwater wells
Belgium / Estonia / Elva / Leuven / Education and Sport
Leuven and Elva named Best European City and Town for Sports in 2021
After years of work, both local governments can rejoice at their newfound notoriety as sports hotspots in Europe
Belgium / Education and Sport
Ghent distributes all skin shades colour pencils to tackle racism in schools
The local government recognises the pencils as a fun and effective way to tackle racism at an early age
Belgium / Amsterdam / Brussels / Hamburg / Paris / Mobility / Politics and Reforms
Belgium introduces tax for flights under 500 kilometres
The tax will affect passengers traveling to some of the biggest transit hubs in Europe, such as London and Frankfurt
Belgium / Cyprus / Italy / Netherlands / Romania / Slovenia / United Kingdom / Culture and Tourism
New EU-funded project sets to regenerate 8 historic urban areas
Innovation & entrepreneurship will be the main engines of transformation
Belgium / Brussels / Green City
Donate old electronics and get trees – a new push to reforest Flanders
Odisee University of Applied Sciences is launching a campaign to collect old electronics that will go towards planting a new forest
Belgium / Culture and Tourism
Ghent celebrates the unique Day of Philosophies of Life
The Day of Philosophies of Life aims to promote understanding in the city, closing the gap between people with diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds
Belgium / Social City / Welfare and Health
Mortsel in Belgium offering benches for adoption, making the city feel personal
The programme is part of the city’s initiative, promoting Mental Health Resilience through public spaces and community caring
Belgium / Leuven / Smart City / Social City
Queer Leuven – a new platform aiming to democratise rainbow policy
The Belgian city of Leuven wants to empower the community by giving it an active role in shaping future LGBT+ policy
Belgium / Culture and Tourism / Development
First natural cemetery in Flanders: no tombstones and biodegradable coffins
The main principle behind the cemetery is that it takes 25 years for the human body to decompose and become a part of nature
Belgium / Brussels / Culture and Tourism
Gallery: Two comic book legends in Brussels get 75th-anniversary mural and exhibition
The iconic duo of Blake and Mortimer is coming back to the streets of Brussels with a mural on the Comic Book Route
Belgium / Welfare and Health
Belgium takes cautious steps to loosening Covid-measures
Nightclubs can bring back dancing with the new ‘Covid Safe Ticket’ system
Belgium / Brussels / Green City
Brussels finds life after trash for 900,000 cigarette butts
Cigarette butts take 15 years to decompose and can contaminate up to 500 litres of water with their heavy chemicals
Belgium / Liège / Innovation and Research / Smart City
Liege University published guide to help cities monitor and evaluate Smart City projects
The guide is available to everyone and its objective is to provide expertise and benchmark examples for public officials and local governments
Brussels / Green City / Politics and Reforms
Slay the EU plastic waste dragon! – Rethink Plastic Alliance calling for waste trade ban
The European Union is consistently among the highest exporters of plastic waste across the world, shifting the burden of pollution to far away countries.
Belgium / Brussels / Culture and Tourism / Welfare and Health
Psychiatrists in Brussels can now prescribe museum visits for mental health issues
Alderwoman for Culture, Tourism and Big events Delphine Houba launched the new programme in the hope to reverse some of the mental damage caused by the pandemic
Belgium / Brussels / Development / Social City
Brussels mayor unveils for-profit public apartments amid criticism for lack of social housing
According to the mayor, the new building represents a countermeasure to Brusselisation in the European Quarter
Belgium / Development / Social City
Ghent gives massive investment support to social housing programmes
Local authorities say Flemish financing leaves little breathing room for expansion, prompting the City to stand by the socially vulnerable
Belgium / Finland / Germany / Ireland / Lithuania / Netherlands / Portugal / Spain / Braga / Brussels / Dublin / Vantaa / Vilnius / Innovation and Research
European Capital of Innovation Awards 2021 semi-finalists announced
16 cities from 10 countries have made it to the semi-final stage
Belgium / Education and Sport
Ghent is calling on its citizens to help with teacher shortage
The city launched a new programme that will help people to fill in the vacancies in the educational system
Belgium / Culture and Tourism
Iconic Ghent swimming pool will relive its glory days one last time
The event will help to promote the city’s digital heritage image and its video bank
Belgium / Development / Public Spaces
Quirky signboards in Ghent remind citizens аbout littering fines
The city is trying to counteract the rising levels of excess waste that takeaway food has started to generate since the start of the pandemic
Belgium / Slovakia / Education and Sport
Belgian-British teenager flies solo around the world in Slovak plane
Zara Rutherford, 19, aims to break the record of American Shaesta Waiz in becoming the youngest woman to circumnavigate the globe alone
Belgium / Social City / Welfare and Health
A vaccination bus will push Ghent over the finish line on herd immunity
The city is offering this new service, giving everyone the opportunity to receive the shot
Belgium / Brussels / Culture and Tourism
Brussels covered in flowers for the first time since the pandemic start
The 'Bruxelles en Fleurs' festival will create a floral journey in the heart of the Belgian capital
Belgium / Brussels / Development
Brussels sex hotel to turn into student accommodation
The sex hotels have been a point of contempt for the locals for years but now they are going away
Belgium / Leuven / Ypres / Politics and Reforms
Belgian ‘Mayors for Peace’ stand up for nuclear disarmament
The green and white flag will fly over more than 100 cities in Belgium with mayors appealing for world peace
Belgium / Culture and Tourism / Development
An 'erotic centre' will breathe new life into derelict industrial heritage site in Ostend
The plan is to restore the building’s exterior and find a new function for its interior
Belgium / Ypres / Development / Education and Sport
City of Ypres teams up with skaters to redesign the skatepark
Marijn Verbruggen, the Olympic skateboarding coach for Belgium is one of the event’s organisers
Belgium / Green City
The Great Butterfly Count reveals 10 most common species in Belgium
The study also reveals that 2021 has been a relatively good year for the insect’s population
Belgium / Leuven / Culture and Tourism / Public Spaces
The open-air library of Leuven is almost here
The residents in Heverlee will have a quaint place to read in the park
Austria / Belgium / Czechia / France / Germany / Italy / Karlovy Vary / Culture and Tourism
UNESCO placed ten EU spa cities on its World Heritage List
Find out how ‘The Great Spas of Europe’ have shaped culture and society on the continent for the last 300 years
Belgium / Denmark / Finland / Netherlands / Portugal / Spain / Sweden / Digital transformation / Economy and Finance
Denmark ranks at the top of the EIB Corporate Digitalisation Index
Several EU member states outperform the US in digital adoption efforts
Belgium / Brussels / Liège / Politics and Reforms / Welfare and Health
Belgium declares national day of mourning for the victims of the flood
The day of mourning comes right before the Belgian National Day commemorating the country’s independence
Belgium / Social City
Ghent starts crowdfunding campaign for victims of the flood
The initiative was set up after concerned citizens started calling the city, asking how can they help
Belgium / Leuven / Development / Smart City
Leuven is experimenting with smart trash bins
Despite being emptied several times a day, some bins attract excessive amounts of waste
Belgium / Innovation and Research / Welfare and Health
EIB gives 15 million euros to Ghent biotech company synthesising breast milk sugars
Babies need these sugars to strengthen their immune system
Belgium / Development
Zwijnaarde island in Ghent is becoming a hemp farm
Exie, a company that does thermal insulation, announced it will plant 2.3 hectares with the crop
Belgium / Brussels / Culture and Tourism / Mobility
Brussels Airport reports best month since the pandemic started
What are the top tourist destinations for Belgians at the tail end of the pandemic?
Belgium / Luxembourg / Brussels / Luxembourg / Development / Mobility
EU Commission joins Luxembourg and Brussels in building faster rail link
The train ride between the two cities currently takes three hours – way longer than it used to back in the 1970s
Belgium / Development / Education and Sport
Study finds Ghent needs extra housing for students
34,000 more students have come to Ghent in the past 20 years, yet the city has built only 3,800 units of housing
Belgium / Culture and Tourism / Development
Derelict industrial site in Ghent becomes heritage attraction
The Tondelier gas holders will be the heart of a new neighbourhood
Belgium / France / Politics and Reforms
Flanders joins lawsuit against French wind farm
Tourist towns like De Panne and Ostend are threatened
Belgium / Brussels / Development / Green City
Meet Van Praet - Brussels’ new sustainable swamp neighbourhood
The city is developing the Van Praet in a way that all amenities are a 10-minute walk аway
Belgium / Development / Social City
City of Ghent teams up with grassroots organisations for a better tomorrow
They will spend 750,000 to fund citizen-led solidarity movements
Belgium / France / Germany / Hamburg / Development / Economy and Finance
Germany, Belgium and France to get 215 million for faster Covid-recovery
The largest EU grant, called REACT-EU, wants to mitigate the effects of COVID-19
Belgium / Denmark / Finland / Germany / Sweden / Stockholm / Innovation and Research
The most innovative city in Europe is Stockholm
While the European Union scored higher than China, it was still well behind South Korea
Belgium / France / Netherlands / United Kingdom / Leuven / London / Paris / Development / Welfare and Health
2021 Global Mayors Challenge: Which are the 50 Champion Cities?
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the cities that will continue in the competition
Austria / Belgium / Denmark / Estonia / Finland / France / Germany / Slovenia / Sweden / Development / Welfare and Health
Finland ranks first in the Sustainable Development Report 2021
It is the first time that the Nordic country has ranked at the top of the SDG Index
Belgium / Brussels / Forest / Ixelles / Culture and Tourism
Brussels unveils strategy to become Art Nouveau capital
Also, a themed pass makes Art Nouveau sites more accessible
Belgium / Leuven / Energy efficiency
600-year old Leuven Town Hall gets modern LED lighting
In order to make it more sustainable and fit to crown a carbon-neutral city
Belgium / Netherlands / Romania / Spain / Antwerp / Barcelona / Constanta
A 25-million European project set its sights on greening European ports
The PIONEERS consortium consists of 46 partners coordinated by the Port of Antwerp
Belgium / Leuven / Green City / Innovation and Research
Leuven creates a plant lab at the city cemetery
It aims to discover which trees and shrubs will survive the changing climate
Belgium / Welfare and Health
Belgium alleviates COVID-19 restrictions from 19 April
The changes concern non-essential travel, education and gatherings
Belgium / Czechia / Germany / Netherlands / Amsterdam / Berlin / Brussels / Prague / Mobility
A night train will connect Prague and Brussels from 2022
This will allow sustainable, clean, and comfortable travel
Belgium / Brussels / Forest / Ixelles / Culture and Tourism / Economy and Finance
In Brussels parking spaces make way for terraces
Allowing for more space for outdoor consumption
Belgium / Leuven / Development / Green City
Leuven citizens can now report animal abuse online
Or inform the authorities about an abandoned animal
Belgium / Cyprus / Czechia / France / Italy / Latvia / Poland / Romania / Spain / Alba Iulia / Brussels / Lublin / Nicosia / Plzen / Rennes / Riga / Economy and Finance / Energy efficiency
EURE: a European project contributing to sustainable growth
Improving the way the ERDF addresses environmental urban challenges of cities in peripheral regions, with international cooperation
Belgium / Welfare and Health
A new set of measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus in Belgium
Valid from 27 March until 25 April included
Austria / Belgium / Czechia / Denmark / Finland / France / Germany / Ireland / Netherlands / Sweden / Welfare and Health
World Happiness Report 2021: Which countries are the happiest?
Finland has been labelled as the world’s happiest country for the fourth year in a row
Belgium / Leuven / Culture and Tourism / Green City
Leuven plans construction of an animal cemetery
It will be a natural-looking place with a lot of greenery
Austria / Belgium / Croatia / Czechia / Denmark / Estonia / Finland / France / Germany / Ireland / Latvia / Lithuania / Netherlands / Portugal / Slovakia / Slovenia / Sweden / Culture and Tourism / Energy efficiency
Sustainable Travel Index: European countries rank highest
Sweden, Finland, Austria, Estonia, and Norway rank at the top of Euromonitor International’s Sustainable Travel Index
Belgium / France / Hungary / Portugal / Politics and Reforms / Welfare and Health
European Youth Capital 2024: Which cities have been shortlisted?
Chișinău (Moldova), Ghent (Belgium), Lviv (Ukraine) and Veszprém (Hungary) will compete for the European Youth Capital 2024 title
Belgium / Brussels / Ixelles / Culture and Tourism
A lockdown museum opens in Brussels on 18 March
The temporary exhibition will be hosted by the Free University of Brussels (ULB)
Belgium / Mechelen / Culture and Tourism / Development
Flemish cities help us say a last goodbye to those we lost during lockdowns
Several Belgian municipalities have joined Reveil – a movement willing to establish a different culture of mourning
Belgium / Interviews
Caroline Taquin: We have made every effort to move forward with our projects, despite the pandemic
Interview with the Mayor of Courcelles, Belgium
Belgium / Interviews
Michel Januth: Our city has a multi-faceted identity in perpetual development
Interview with the Mayor of Tubize, Belgium
Belgium / Culture and Tourism / Economy and Finance
Ghent gives 250 thousand euros for corona-proof parties
No one knows when the pandemic will be over, but the city authorities want to make 2021 a festive one
Belgium / Leuven / Culture and Tourism
A modernistic music installation brings peace of mind at Leuven’s cemetery
You can discover the first single album of Balthazar founder Patricia Vannese
Belgium / Leuven / Public Spaces
Leuven keeps the festive spirit on until March
As a means to cheer up residents and businesses
Belgium / Brussels / Culture and Tourism
Art Nouveau pearl Hotel Solvay opens to the public
The house that Victor Horta designed for the industrialist Solvay in Brussels turns into a museum
Belgium / Bruges / Innovation and Research
Two Flemish cities team up to measure crowds
The information will be useful to entrepreneurs and city services in Ghent and Bruges
Belgium / Leuven / Economy and Finance / Green City
A craft brewery will soon sell electricity to Brussels residents
To celebrate this, the partners will offer 350 beer packs for free
Belgium / Culture and Tourism
Ghent Light Festival to take place in November
The event was scheduled for January, but the pandemic in Flanders forced its postponement
Belgium / Leuven / Development / Education and Sport
New meeting space with velodrome might soon adorn Leuven’s Brusselsestraat
It is meant as a temporary project, to be used prior to the construction of a new performance art building starts in 2024
Belgium / Estonia / France / Romania / Slovakia / Sweden / Bratislava / Cluj-Napoca / Helsingborg / Iasi / Leuven / Paris / Tallinn / Warsaw / Zagreb / Digital transformation / Innovation and Research
Tackling the corona crisis locally: lessons from EU cities
A selection of the best solutions showing that EU cities can solve big issues with restricted resources
Amsterdam / Budapest / Leuven / Digital transformation / Economy and Finance / Innovation and Research / Welfare and Health
Five city innovations to remember from before the pandemic
A selection of the most interesting projects and solutions from EU cities in early 2020
Brussels / Forest / Ixelles
Brussels to spend New Year’s Eve under curfew
The decision was approved by all 19 mayors of the region
Leuven / Welfare and Health
One-on-one concerts help Leuven residents fight loneliness
While simultaneously allowing the cultural sector some breathing room
Deinze / Interviews
Jan Vermeulen: Small wheels create big cities!
Interview with the Mayor of Deinze, Belgium
Brussels / Mobility / Welfare and Health
Public transport in Brussels becomes free for under-25s come 2021
At the start of the next school year, citizens under 25 will be able to enjoy Brussels’ public transport free of charge
Brussels / Forest / Ixelles / Culture and Tourism
Brussels launches working group on decolonisation of public space
The institution wants to ensure a peaceful debate on a highly sensitive topic
Leuven / Development / Interviews
Mohamed Ridouani: Innovation means to improve the quality of life with and for all
Interview with Mohamed Ridouani, Mayor of Leuven, European Capital of Innovation for 2020
Bruges / Energy efficiency
Wanted: three neighbourhoods to speed up the carbon neutrality of Bruges
The Flemish city will be supporting their fossil-free transition
Cluj-Napoca / Espoo / Helsingborg / Leuven / Vienna / Innovation and Research
Leuven wins the iCapital 2020 Award
The lucky winner also receives 1 million euros from the European Commission to implement innovative projects
Leuven / Welfare and Health
Leuven supports residents in their battle against tobacco
The Flemish municipality offers a group course on how to quit smoking, which is already almost fully booked
Leuven / Mobility
Leuven envisages significant expansion of Zone 30
The length of roads with speed limits of 30 km/h will double
Brussels / Forest / Ixelles / Leuven
Reaching Brussels Airport by bike to become safer and faster within four months
Thanks to a future cycling connection
Barcelona / Belfast / Brussels / Gdansk / Milan / Nicosia / Poznan / Turin / Vilnius / Warsaw
“Disappearing walls” spring up around Europe
They can be seen in 10 countries
Bruges / Welfare and Health
The first animal food bank in Bruges opens its doors
Because pets are not just for those who can afford them
Leuven / Energy efficiency
Leuven commits to fair and sustainable use of information and communication technologies
It is the first Flemish city to do this
Brussels / Forest / Ixelles / Welfare and Health
Masks become mandatory in Brussels as of today
This affects all 19 municipalities in the region
Leuven / Culture and Tourism
The summer programme of Leuven goes ahead despite Covid-19
It is a reward for the discipline shown by residents during the epidemic
Brussels / Forest / Ixelles / Interviews
Pascal Smet: Brussels has decidedly chosen to become a city for people
Interview with Pascal Smet, Secretary of Urban Planning of the Brussels-Capital Region
Brussels / Hamburg / Helsinki / Mobility
Nordic countries and mainland Europe to be connected by night trains by 2022
Swedish and Danish authorities will work together for the establishment of links between Malmo and Brussels and Stockholm and Hamburg
Leuven / Culture and Tourism / Innovation and Research
Smart camera shows the number of visitors in Leuven’s library
One of the city’s intelligent tech measures against Covid-19
Brussels / Forest / Ixelles / Culture and Tourism
Staycation BXL will make this summer exciting for everyone staying in the city
An unforgettable staycation awaits all those who avoid travel
Leuven / Energy efficiency
A large cooperative project on renewable energy starts in Leuven
It gives citizens a chance to contribute to substantial energy savings while making profit
Mechelen / Culture and Tourism / Economy and Finance
Pay for 2, get 1 free: Mechelen boosts tourism with free accommodation
1000 free nights will be offered by the Flemish city
Brussels / Forest / Ixelles / Education and Sport
The 2020 Brussels marathon is cancelled
There is still an alternative for those who want to experience the magic of the event
Latest
Belgium / Green City / Social City
Ghent acts against diminishing water supplies
Belgium / Estonia / Elva / Leuven / Education and Sport
Leuven and Elva named Best European City and Town for Sports in 2021
Belgium / Education and Sport
Ghent distributes all skin shades colour pencils to tackle racism in schools
Belgium / Amsterdam / Brussels / Hamburg / Paris / Mobility / Politics and Reforms
Belgium introduces tax for flights under 500 kilometres
Belgium / Cyprus / Italy / Netherlands / Romania / Slovenia / United Kingdom / Culture and Tourism
New EU-funded project sets to regenerate 8 historic urban areas
Belgium / Brussels / Green City
Donate old electronics and get trees – a new push to reforest Flanders
Belgium / Culture and Tourism
Ghent celebrates the unique Day of Philosophies of Life
Belgium / Social City / Welfare and Health
Mortsel in Belgium offering benches for adoption, making the city feel personal
Belgium / Leuven / Smart City / Social City
Queer Leuven – a new platform aiming to democratise rainbow policy
Belgium / Culture and Tourism / Development