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Development

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Netherlands / Amsterdam / Development / Public Spaces

How do we make Amsterdam’s bike tunnels less scary?

It involves all the five senses, apparently

Jun 1, 2023 17:21
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France / Development / Economy and Finance

France starts building its Battery Valley with opening of new gigafactory

The facility located near Lens is the first step in the grand re-industrialization of the North along modern tech lines

May 31, 2023 13:17

Economy and Finance

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Spain / Culture and Tourism / Economy and Finance

Spanish domestic flights tickets can be paid in up to 12 installments

Iberia will be the first company to introduce this option in the country

May 31, 2023 16:09
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France / Development / Economy and Finance

France starts building its Battery Valley with opening of new gigafactory

The facility located near Lens is the first step in the grand re-industrialization of the North along modern tech lines

May 31, 2023 13:17

Politics and Reforms

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Germany / Mobility / Politics and Reforms

10 million people have bought the Deutschland ticket in a month

Germany’s new approach has convinced hundreds of thousands of people to start using public transport for the first time

Jun 1, 2023 16:00
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Bulgaria / Sofia / Mobility / Politics and Reforms

Sofia cracks down on e-scooters with fines of up to 500 euros for companies

Drivers will be legally required to push their scooters manually in pedestrian areas and parks

May 31, 2023 17:09

Innovation and Research

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Luxembourg / Culture and Tourism / Innovation and Research

Esch2022 – the benefits and aftermath of European Capital of Culture

The team presented the final report about a year, which was supposed to put the Luxembourgish city on the cultural map of Europe

May 29, 2023 16:29
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Innovation and Research

Museums and police in Europe join forces to fight illicit trade in artefacts

European projects are developing new ways to clamp down on international trafficking of cultural goods

May 23, 2023 16:56

Digital transformation

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Bulgaria / Greece / Athens / Sofia / Thessaloniki / Digital transformation / Mobility

Sofia – Thessaloniki highway to support autonomous vehicles by 2025

Greece and Bulgaria are set to build one of the first 5G cross-border corridors in Europe

May 31, 2023 14:42
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Finland / Digital transformation / Welfare and Health

After dogs, Finland wants to register all cats on its territory, too

The feline registry is expected to start operating in 2026

May 30, 2023 17:42

Energy efficiency

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Luxembourg / Portugal / Energy efficiency / Politics and Reforms

Luxembourg and Portugal to develop a hydrogen corridor

Portugal is growing its renewable energy sector and will soon have a large hydrogen electrolyser in the port of Sines

May 31, 2023 11:00
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Germany / Economy and Finance / Energy efficiency

BMW will expand green car plant in Leipzig

The city has signed a new lease deal for an area of 12 hectares which will include production facilities and renewable energy generation

May 29, 2023 13:07

Mobility

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Germany / Mobility / Politics and Reforms

10 million people have bought the Deutschland ticket in a month

Germany’s new approach has convinced hundreds of thousands of people to start using public transport for the first time

Jun 1, 2023 16:00
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Denmark / Mobility / Social City

Danish town to lend families cargo bikes so they can experience car-less life

Fredensborg Municipality is inviting residents to take the bikes for a spin…lasting up to 3 months

Jun 1, 2023 14:06

Public Spaces

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Netherlands / Amsterdam / Development / Public Spaces

How do we make Amsterdam’s bike tunnels less scary?

It involves all the five senses, apparently

Jun 1, 2023 17:21
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France / Lyon / Public Spaces / Social City

Lyon makes parking fees socially fair and environmentally just

What you pay for having your car resting in the city will now depend on several different factors

Jun 1, 2023 16:02

Culture and Tourism

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Culture and Tourism / Mobility

Night train tester: Europe’s newest profession

After all, sleeping carriages are basically hotels on wheels

May 31, 2023 17:49
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Spain / Culture and Tourism / Economy and Finance

Spanish domestic flights tickets can be paid in up to 12 installments

Iberia will be the first company to introduce this option in the country

May 31, 2023 16:09

Education and Sport

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Portugal / Lisbon / Development / Education and Sport

Cristiano Ronaldo’s former home in Lisbon soon up for rent

The apartment building has just undergone a renovation worth 14 million euros

May 15, 2023 18:07
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Poland / Krakow / Education and Sport / Social City

Krakow and Shell will donate 1,000 laptops to war refugees

It’s a repetition of the donation drive, treating aid not as a sprint but as a marathon

May 11, 2023 17:38

Welfare and Health

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Finland / Digital transformation / Welfare and Health

After dogs, Finland wants to register all cats on its territory, too

The feline registry is expected to start operating in 2026

May 30, 2023 17:42
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Germany / Berlin / Politics and Reforms / Welfare and Health

Berlin will treat wounded Ukrainian soldiers for free

With the ramp-up of the summer offensive, authorities estimate up to 500 wounded soldiers per month

May 23, 2023 13:53
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Interviews / Read Twice

Maja Sever: Journalism is a pillar of democracy

Apr 10, 2023 13:46
Magdalena Magdić
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Interviews

Kaisa Karjalainen: “It’s better to be an imperfect zero waster for the rest of our lives than a perfect one for two weeks”

Mar 14, 2023 12:56
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Digital transformation / Interviews / Politics and Reforms

Online public services as efficient as TikTok: Cluj-Napoca’s Digital Transformation

Feb 16, 2023 13:51
Denis Balgaranov
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Bulgaria / Interviews / Read Twice

Veni Markovski: It's about time the media stopped inviting “experts” who spread false info

Nov 28, 2022 11:30
Denis Balgaranov
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Netherlands / Utrecht / Green City / Interviews

Sharon Dijksma: Without cities, it will be impossible to tackle global warming

Nov 21, 2022 13:41
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Interviews / Politics and Reforms

Vasco Cordeiro: The European project is at stake when solidarity is at stake

Aug 1, 2022 11:34
Denis Balgaranov
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Interviews

Cities Mission has made citizen engagement and participatory processes an important part of its functioning

Jul 14, 2022 14:57
ICLEI Europe
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Portugal / Matosinhos / Interviews

Luisa Salgueiro: Climate resilience work is never completed, it’s a continuously upgraded project

Jun 23, 2022 12:41
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Interviews

EBRD's aim is to support increased climate ambition within cities

May 18, 2022 13:33
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Greece / Athens / Interviews / Welfare and Health

Melina Daskalaki: Our mission is to promote the social reintegration of homeless individuals

May 16, 2022 11:04
Svilena Iotkovska

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Finland
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Espoo

Espoo
Jukka Mäkelä
Mayor

Jukka Mäkelä

Biography
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The first inhabitants in the area arrived about 9,000 years ago. Physical evidence indicates agriculture from ca. 1000 AD, but there are no historical records. Up to the 13th century, the area was a borderland between the hunting grounds of Finnish Proper and Tavastian Finns, with a sparse population. Immigrants from Sweden established permanent agricultural settlements to the area from late 13th century onwards after the so-called Second Crusade to Finland. Espoo was a subdivision of the Kirkkonummi congregation until 1486-7. The oldest known document referring to Kirkkonummi is from 1330; Espoo as a subchapter has been dated to the 1380s, although the first document directly referring to Espoo is from as late as 1431.

The construction of the Espoo Cathedral, the oldest preserved building in Espoo, marks the independence of Espoo. Administratively, Espoo was a part of Uusimaa. When the province was split to Eastern and Western provinces governed from the Porvoo and Raasepori castles, respectively, the eastern border of the Raasepori province was in Espoo. The 13th century road connecting the most important cities in Finland at that time, the King`s Road, passes through Espoo on its way from Stockholm via Turku and Porvoo to Viipuri.  

In 1557, King Gustaf Wasa decided to stabilize and develop the region by founding a royal mansion in Espoo. The government bought the villages of Espåby and Mankby, transferred the population elsewhere, and built the royal mansion in Espåby. The royal mansion housed the king's local plenipotentiary, and collected royal tax in kind paid by labor on the mansion's farm. The administrative center Espoon keskus has grown around the church and the Espoo railway station, but the municipality has retained a network-like structure to the modern day.

In 1920, Espoo was only a rural municipality of about 9,000 inhabitants. Agriculture was the primary source of income, with 75% of the population making their living from farming. Kaunianen was separated from Espoo in 1920, and it gained city rights the same year as Espoo, in 1972.

Espoo started to grow rapidly in the 1940s and '50s. It quickly developed from a rural municipality into a fully-fledged industrial city, gaining city rights in 1972. Due to its proximity to Helsinki, Espoo soon became popular amongst people working in the capital. In the fifty years from 1950 to 2000, the population of Espoo grew from 22,000 to 210,000.

Source: Wikipedia

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Finland / Espoo / Public Spaces / Social City

Girls in Espoo move around the city more than boys do, but why?

The intriguing research done by the local municipality can help with future urban planning decisions

Nov 09, 2022 14:27
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Espoo / Education and Sport / Green City

Espoo schools cut food waste by involving students in meal planning (Part 2)

More good practices from a Finnish city that cares what its young ones eat

Sep 09, 2022 17:58
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Espoo / Green City / Social City

Espoo schools cut food waste by involving students in meal planning (Part 1)

The reasoning behind this is as simple as it is profound – make the food tastier for the youngsters so less of it will go into the trash

Sep 08, 2022 17:58
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Espoo / Development

Espoo’s sustainable development zeroes in on land use

The city has set itself a vision of holistic, multi-dimensional growth with a horizon of 2060

Sep 07, 2022 17:57
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Germany / Sweden / Espoo / Green City

Three EU cities will scale down the European Green Deal

Espoo, Mannheim and Umeå are cooperating in the ALLIANCE project to create a prototype that makes the grand plan more workable for cities

Jun 16, 2022 16:22
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Espoo / Politics and Reforms

An era of new beginnings – watch live the Eurocities Conference 2022

The focus of the two-day event, which welcomes 500 delegates from more than 100 cities, is the journey towards cities' climate leadership

Jun 09, 2022 10:23
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Finland / Espoo / Culture and Tourism / Digital transformation

Espoo’s web library turns the page on inaccessibility

A fine example of a digital service increasing the value of its offline counterpart

Jun 07, 2022 17:24
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Espoo / Jyväskylä / Green City

Finnish cities prevent the habitat loss of flying squirrels

The Siberian flying squirrel is an endangered species whose biggest threat is forestry

May 25, 2022 16:18
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Digital transformation / EU funding updates

EIB boosts Europe's quantum computing sector with EUR 35 million

The European Investment Bank wants to position Europe as a technological leader

May 03, 2022 13:49
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Helsinki / Vantaa / Education and Sport

Helsinki Metropolitan Area offers residents 125 guided tours in nature

Excursions will be free of charge

Apr 26, 2022 14:36
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Development / Digital transformation / Energy efficiency

New data centre in Espoo to produce heat for local homes and businesses

Microsoft and Fortum have collaborated to accelerate Finland’s digital and green transition

Mar 18, 2022 11:34
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Culture and Tourism / Welfare and Health

Espoo is sending out postcards to all new residents

Those who have moved to the Finnish city in 2021 can present the cards to receive discounts at local shops

Feb 23, 2022 14:26
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Development / Innovation and Research

IQM Quantum Computers unveils state-of-the-art facility in Espoo

The company has invested EUR 20 million in the new fabrication site

Nov 12, 2021 13:19
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Green City / Politics and Reforms

Espoo wants to become Europe’s most sustainable city

The Finnish city has outlined seven objectives that will help it achieve this goal

Oct 29, 2021 13:57
Svilena Iotkovska
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Denmark / Finland / Germany / Netherlands / Sweden / Aalborg / Amsterdam / Berlin / Copenhagen / Espoo / Lund / Stockholm / Innovation and Research

Cities of the Future Index: 3 European metropolitan areas rank highest

Easy Park has found the world’s 150 most intelligent cities

Oct 14, 2021 12:04
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Innovation and Research / Welfare and Health

Espoo announces 2021 Mayor’s Innovation Competition winners

The winning ideas explore wellbeing, health care and mental health

Oct 12, 2021 16:55
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Helsinki / Pirkkala / Tampere / Vantaa / Welfare and Health

Which are Finland’s most vibrant cities?

Ramboll conducted a study based on the 15-minute cities concept and its LIVCY index

Oct 04, 2021 17:01
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Innovation and Research

Espoo to host virtual AI event in November

“AI Finland & AI Day 2021: Reboot with AI” will combine two annual events and showcase the latest developments in artificial intelligence

Sep 13, 2021 11:26
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Turku / Innovation and Research / Mobility

Espoo and Turku are working towards introducing automated traffic

On 24 August, the two cities will present the results of their studies at a webinar

Aug 20, 2021 14:22
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Helsinki / Culture and Tourism

Southern Finland launches new platform to boost tourism

Bookingpoint.fi allows customers to book hundreds of services from one place

Jun 07, 2021 16:52
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Welfare and Health

Espoo allows residents to get vaccinated at home

Fear, age, and underlying conditions may hinder people from going to a vaccination centre

Jun 07, 2021 12:38
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Development / Innovation and Research

Applications are now open for the Mayor's Innovation Competition in Espoo

From 6 April to 24 May, companies from Espoo and employees of the City can submit their applications

Apr 06, 2021 11:58
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Energy efficiency / Innovation and Research

Espoo launches a shared zone car service

As of 10 March, drivers in the Finnish city of Espoo can use shared vehicles to reduce personal costs and pollution

Mar 10, 2021 11:25
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Espoo / Helsinki / Vantaa / Culture and Tourism / Green City

Helsinki’s libraries ditch plastic book covers

Instead, bio coating will be used in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen

Feb 12, 2021 16:10
Aseniya Dimitrova
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Finland / Espoo / Politics and Reforms

Espoo tests new ways to involve international residents in local decision making

The goal is to increase the influence and sense of belonging of foreign nationals living in the city

Jan 21, 2021 17:37
Anton Stoyanov
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Finland / Espoo / Education and Sport

Discover Espoo through the eyes of children

A new book presenting the city in a manner suitable for toddlers has been developed with the input of local children

Jan 15, 2021 18:07
Anton Stoyanov
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Finland / Espoo / Innovation and Research

Espoo – the city where foreigners feel right at home

The “Hello Espoo” project is aimed at providing increased support to the constantly growing non-Finnish population of the city

Jan 09, 2021 18:40
Anton Stoyanov
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Espoo / Welfare and Health

Espoo launches trial immigrant counseling service

It is meant to speed up and improve integration of new arrivals in the city

Dec 31, 2020 13:07
Anton Stoyanov
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Espoo / Helsinki / Tampere / Turku / Vantaa / Energy efficiency

Multicity project offers environmental solutions to Finland’s urban areas

A landmark initiative involving 6 cities has allowed them to find new ways to further combat climate change on their premises

Dec 27, 2020 15:09
Anton Stoyanov
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Espoo / Development

Emission-free construction of Espoo’s Lukoti square wraps up

The venture was the first of its kind in the city and paves the way for more environmentally friendly construction sites

Dec 19, 2020 10:15
Anton Stoyanov

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