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Development

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Greece / Thessaloniki / Development / Mobility

Thessaloniki gets ready for its metro launch in November

The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays

Sep 30, 2024 13:49
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Spain / Barcelona / Culture and Tourism / Development

These elements will crown the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona for the highest viewpoint in the city

The cross pinnacle on the Tower of Jesus Christ will be ready to receive visitors in 2026 on the centennial of Gaudi’s death

Sep 20, 2024 17:36

Economy and Finance

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France / Digital transformation / Economy and Finance

Shops in this Bordeaux suburb accept cryptocurrency as payment

Now you can get your wine in Talence by paying directly in Bitcoin

Sep 24, 2024 16:47
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Germany / Economy and Finance / Mobility

Next year, Germany's Deutschlandticket will cost 58 euros

That’s because the state has to spend money on updating the railway infrastructure rather than subsidizing the cost of the popular pass

Sep 24, 2024 13:27

Politics and Reforms

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Germany / Politics and Reforms

Voters in a Bavarian town elected a mayor whose name wasn’t on the ballot

Steffen Romstöck said that he would respect the residents’ choice and would take over the helm of the municipality, even if he didn’t run

Sep 18, 2024 13:50
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Greece / Athens / Culture and Tourism / Politics and Reforms

Athens to ban new short-term lets

The measure, which will come into force from 1 January 2025, will be partial and temporary…for now

Sep 17, 2024 16:22

Innovation and Research

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Belgium / Brussels / Energy efficiency / Innovation and Research

Brussels tries out a novel rooftop wind turbine suitable for cities

Rethinking renewable energy sources for the urban landscape

Sep 27, 2024 12:52
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Finland / Innovation and Research

AI-powered drones in Finland could patrol the skies in search of wildfires

But operating them is still illegal under the country’s legislation

Sep 20, 2024 16:33

Digital transformation

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Digital transformation / Energy efficiency

New digital map showcases creative energy solutions across Europe

The examples, compiled by Beyond Fossil Fuels, can inform and inspire communities and entrepreneurs that still feel trepidation at the prospect of energy transition

Sep 26, 2024 14:09
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France / Digital transformation / Economy and Finance

Shops in this Bordeaux suburb accept cryptocurrency as payment

Now you can get your wine in Talence by paying directly in Bitcoin

Sep 24, 2024 16:47

Energy efficiency

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Belgium / Brussels / Energy efficiency / Innovation and Research

Brussels tries out a novel rooftop wind turbine suitable for cities

Rethinking renewable energy sources for the urban landscape

Sep 27, 2024 12:52
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Digital transformation / Energy efficiency

New digital map showcases creative energy solutions across Europe

The examples, compiled by Beyond Fossil Fuels, can inform and inspire communities and entrepreneurs that still feel trepidation at the prospect of energy transition

Sep 26, 2024 14:09

Mobility

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Greece / Thessaloniki / Development / Mobility

Thessaloniki gets ready for its metro launch in November

The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays

Sep 30, 2024 13:49
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Germany / Mobility

Mannheim debuts longest tram in the world

Plus, it has a unique modular design that allows it to be shortened and lengthened like a train

Sep 27, 2024 17:03

Public Spaces

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France / Paris / Culture and Tourism / Public Spaces

The Olympic Rings have left the Eiffel Tower, but they’ll be back

At least, that’s the promise made by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo

Sep 30, 2024 17:57
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France / Culture and Tourism / Public Spaces

Marseille is home to this year's coolest neighbourhood in the world

Despite its church-y name, the district has long been known as the hangout spot for the artsy crowds

Sep 26, 2024 17:37

Culture and Tourism

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France / Paris / Culture and Tourism / Public Spaces

The Olympic Rings have left the Eiffel Tower, but they’ll be back

At least, that’s the promise made by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo

Sep 30, 2024 17:57
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Spain / Culture and Tourism

Oldest inn in Catalonia marked 500 years of non-stop business

Hostal de Pinós is located in the geographical centre of the autonomous region

Sep 30, 2024 16:57

Education and Sport

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Budapest / Prague / Education and Sport / Social City

Here are Europe’s 5 best student cities

On the eve of the new academic year, the ranking considers several distinct but essential factors

Sep 19, 2024 17:47
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Education and Sport

Kicking for the Future: How Football Clubs are Creating Sustainable Urban Spaces

Sep 19, 2024 10:06

Welfare and Health

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Belgium / Mobility / Welfare and Health

Shhh!: Belgian railways introduce silent compartments on board

Following a successful trial phase, these quiet areas will now be available on all main routes in the country

Sep 24, 2024 18:04
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France / Education and Sport / Welfare and Health

Check out these sleeping pods at the University of Lille library

The academic institution shows a deeper understanding of the well-being of its students

Sep 12, 2024 16:24
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Poland / Interviews

Hanna Zdanowska: We are one of the leaders in eco-transition and Łódź is much greener than before

Jul 24, 2024 14:48
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Interviews

Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh: True urban development must be inclusive and affordable, otherwise it’s not sustainable

Jun 27, 2024 12:45
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Portugal / Lisbon / Interviews

Carlos Moedas: Our ambition is to become a city where entrepreneurs can come to scale their businesses

Jun 20, 2024 13:25
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Spain / Interviews / Mayor of Europe

María José Catalá: the Green Capital mindset is transversal to all action levels and will continue in the years to come

Jun 5, 2024 15:41
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Estonia / Tartu / Interviews

Urmas Klaas: Arts can and must give people the ability and courage to dream of a future

Mar 6, 2024 12:18
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Interviews

Wolfgang Teubner: Тhe path towards the end of fossil fuels is irreversible

Dec 21, 2023 11:03
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Interviews / Read Twice

Ibrahim Kraria: While AI can play a role in combating hate speech, it can also amplify its spread

Aug 16, 2023 17:08
Mihaela Roxana GODINAC
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Interviews

Bertrand Piccard: If something looks impossible, that’s why we try do to it!

Jun 9, 2023 15:40
Denis Balgaranov
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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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Helsinki

Helsinki
Juhana Vartiainen
Mayor

Juhana Vartiainen

Biography
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Since its foundation in 1550, Helsinki has been a trading city. Its founders had grandiose plans for the location, but the city was devastated by illness and poverty. For a long time Helsinki remained a relatively small center of trade. About 150 years later the black plague killed a large portion of the population, just when the territory was annexed by Russia, the whole country began to develop as the Great Duchy of Finland. In 1812 the capital of Finland was moved from Turku to Helsinki. At that time, the only university in the country was also moved to Helsinki. Factors such as industrialization and infrastructure development were becoming essential for the growth of the city.

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Finland / Helsinki / Energy efficiency / Innovation and Research

Helsinki may build a small nuclear reactor for heating purposes

Despite the small scale of an SMR, it won’t be cheap to build, and it could become a reality only in the next decade

Sep 10, 2024 17:45
TheMayor.EU
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Finland / Helsinki / Public Spaces / Social City

Helsinki quietly legalizes topless sunbathing for women

Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland

Jul 26, 2024 16:31
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Culture and Tourism

Happy birthday, Helsinki!

What happens on 12 June in the Finnish capital?

Jun 12, 2024 13:44
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Culture and Tourism

You can visit Helsinki for free this summer and learn to be happy

Finns are now certified experts in the art of joy

Mar 19, 2024 13:38
TheMayor.EU
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Finland / Helsinki / Green City

Disposing of excess snow in the sea will become illegal in Helsinki

The aim is to improve the quality of seawater and to provide a better environment for the marine life

Feb 01, 2024 17:04
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Digital transformation / Public Spaces

World’s first? A Helsinki food delivery robot did a hit-and-run on a car

This is the first winter that the smart vehicles have to deal with Nordic climate conditions

Jan 31, 2024 16:57
TheMayor.EU
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Finland / Helsinki / Politics and Reforms / Public Spaces

Helsinki’s graffiti-painting deputy mayor gets a 2,500-euro fine

That’s still less than the cost of cleaning up his urban art

Jan 29, 2024 12:56
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Tampere / Welfare and Health

These are Finland’s most unsafe cities

One of them has shown a sharp increase in reported crimes in the past year

Nov 14, 2023 17:27
TheMayor.EU
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Finland / Helsinki / Culture and Tourism / Social City

Helsinki City Library readers recommend books to each other with emoticon markers

It’s an experiment in making book-borrowers and readers feel more like a community

Nov 09, 2023 16:58
TheMayor.EU
  • en
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Finland / Helsinki / Public Spaces

Helsinki to place fence around iconic statue to protect it

With this move, it might become the first European capital to do something so drastic to protect its heritage from vandalism

Sep 27, 2023 13:50
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Digital transformation

Helsinki’s airport is the world's first test site for digital passports

For now, the service is only available for flights to the United Kingdom

Sep 04, 2023 16:15
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Public Spaces

The clock tower in Helsinki Central Station will ring for the first time in its history on 20 August

And what it will sound like is a mystery and a surprise

Aug 10, 2023 13:27
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Culture and Tourism / Politics and Reforms

Helsinki deputy-mayor arrested for graffiti painting

That was his particular way of spending Midsummer’s Eve

Jun 26, 2023 16:17
TheMayor.EU
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Finland / Helsinki / Development / Public Spaces

Helsinki began a 2+ year renovation of its main boulevard, largest such project ever

Reportedly, Mannerheimintie still contains obsolete urban infrastructure from the start of the 20th century

Mar 07, 2023 16:31
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Mobility

Trendiest mobility mode in Helsinki? One’s own feet

The local authorities conducted a survey, and it turned out that to be outdoorsy, you don’t even need to leave the city

Feb 20, 2023 17:44
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Culture and Tourism / Public Spaces

Helsinki light festival features burnt cars from Ukraine

It’s an art installation that brings the horrors of war in the midst of the comfort felt by a European capital

Jan 06, 2023 17:04
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Education and Sport / Social City

Helsinki tackles menstrual poverty with free pads in schools

This is a pilot project for the time being, and it represents a growing range of concerns around the idea of “poverty” in society

Sep 16, 2022 10:23
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Mobility

Helsinki declares war on street dust…by using friction tires

Fine particles are the most challenging piece of the air quality puzzle for this Nordic capital

Sep 13, 2022 18:00
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Green City

For cleaner winter: Helsinki to test a new snow-melting device

Although we are still in the grip of summer, authorities in the Finnish capital are already thinking about the challenges of the icy season

Aug 31, 2022 11:06
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Green City

Helsinki’s emissions not dropping fast enough to meet 2030 horizon

As a response, the authorities of the Finnish capital have decided to update the local Carbon Neutral program

Aug 15, 2022 17:51
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Green City / Welfare and Health

How Helsinki’s air quality has improved over the past 30 years

Dust particle concentrations can still present a tough challenge to beat, though

Jun 24, 2022 15:55
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Welfare and Health

Helsinki inspires female immigrants to become entrepreneurs

The Finnish capital will hold ‘Entrepreneur Day for Women’ next month

May 23, 2022 12:09
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Helsinki / Green City

Helsinki to test a fully electric garbage truck

It should reduce noise and air pollution in the heart of the city

May 18, 2022 15:00
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Helsinki / Education and Sport / Welfare and Health

Helsinki offers refugees discounts for cultural and leisure services

One must present their residence card or a certificate confirming they have received asylum to be eligible for the discounts

May 13, 2022 11:51
Svilena Iotkovska
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Belgium / Finland / Brussels / Helsinki / Culture and Tourism / Politics and Reforms

European cities are starting to recognize English as an official language

In increasingly multi-cultural environments, the 21st-century lingua franca is hard to ignore

Apr 27, 2022 17:40
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Finland / Helsinki / Innovation and Research

Modern device uses seawater heat to melt snow in Helsinki

The new technology has proven to be cost-effective and environmentally friendly

Apr 27, 2022 16:02
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 / Helsinki / Culture and Tourism / Welfare and Health

Helsinki invests in cultural activities for its elderly citizens

It has set aside EUR 1.3 million for arts and culture projects that promote the inclusion of older people

Apr 20, 2022 11:11
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Helsinki / Digital transformation / Education and Sport

Augmented Reality game teaches Helsinki’s pupils about rainforests

The Finnish capital and Korkeasaari Zoo included schoolchildren in the game’s design process, asking them to devise the plot and characters

Mar 21, 2022 15:32
Svilena Iotkovska
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Finland / Helsinki / Green City / Welfare and Health

Helsinki advises residents how to cope with poor air quality

The concentration of dust can be 10 times higher than usual during this time of the year

Mar 14, 2022 15:23
Svilena Iotkovska

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