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Czechia / Prague / Culture and Tourism / Development

Prague reveals design plans for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall

The Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition

May 19, 2022 15:37
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Spain / Development / Energy efficiency

Valladolid to have Spain’s largest biomass-fed heating network

The promise is that it will save between 30% and 50% on users’ energy bills

May 17, 2022 17:49

Economy and Finance

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Latvia / Riga / Culture and Tourism / Economy and Finance

Riga encourages the creation of private museums

For the first time there, financial backing is forthcoming

May 17, 2022 15:13
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Austria / Vienna / Culture and Tourism / Economy and Finance

Start-up festival will turn Vienna into an international business hotspot this spring

ViennaUP’22 will bring people from over 40 countries to the Austrian capital in a business festival fuelled by the unique local atmosphere

May 10, 2022 14:41

Politics and Reforms

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Luxembourg / Mobility / Politics and Reforms

Luxembourg Minister pushing for an EU-wide ban on cars in cities during weekends

The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports

May 20, 2022 16:02
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Germany / Mobility / Politics and Reforms

Germany to introduce 9-euro month pass for all public transport

The summer ticket will be valid on local and regional trains, buses, as well as on the U-Bahn and S-Bahn

May 20, 2022 12:23

Innovation and Research

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Ireland / Dublin / Innovation and Research / Mobility

During the pandemic, more Dubliners started walking rather than cycling

The new Walking and Cycling Index shows that an overwhelming majority want to live in 20-minute neighbourhoods

May 20, 2022 14:20
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Malta / Innovation and Research / Welfare and Health

Malta opens a multisensory room in Kalkara

It will offer people with physical, cognitive and sensory disabilities a calming environment

May 18, 2022 17:10

Digital transformation

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Latvia / Riga / Digital transformation / Welfare and Health

Riga adds a drone to its summer lifeguard services

The city also added a new bathing area

May 20, 2022 17:41
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Italy / Rome / Culture and Tourism / Digital transformation

Rome to offer night tours of the Colosseum

Explore the underbelly of the city’s most iconic site in the moonlit hours

May 19, 2022 15:16

Energy efficiency

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Energy efficiency / Politics and Reforms

REPowerEU: Europe starts preparing for next winter

The plan calls for accelerating green energy developments in the EU, with 2027 as a supposed cut-off deadline for Russian energy imports

May 19, 2022 13:20
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Energy efficiency / Politics and Reforms

Bill Gates investment group says EU needs to put 800 billion euros into green energy

As the EU Commission is about to vote on REPowerEU, a bill to fund alternative natural gas suppliers, Breakthrough Energy claims that the bloc needs more battery storage capacity

May 18, 2022 12:08

Mobility

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Luxembourg / Mobility / Politics and Reforms

Luxembourg Minister pushing for an EU-wide ban on cars in cities during weekends

The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports

May 20, 2022 16:02
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Ireland / Dublin / Innovation and Research / Mobility

During the pandemic, more Dubliners started walking rather than cycling

The new Walking and Cycling Index shows that an overwhelming majority want to live in 20-minute neighbourhoods

May 20, 2022 14:20

Public Spaces

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Hungary / Budapest / Public Spaces

Protected plants have started to appear in Budapest’s wildflower areas

These special zones were created last year with the aim of boosting biodiversity in the city

May 19, 2022 15:00
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Sweden / Helsingborg / Public Spaces

Helsingborg will cover scaffolding of town hall with storm-proof banner

The building has been undergoing a major renovation since the start of 2021

May 18, 2022 18:03

Culture and Tourism

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Croatia / Karlovac / Culture and Tourism

Smart sensors help Karlovac City Museum save money and energy

The installation of the sensors is part of its “Smart Museum” project

May 20, 2022 15:28
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Czechia / Prague / Culture and Tourism / Development

Prague reveals design plans for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall

The Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition

May 19, 2022 15:37

Education and Sport

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Italy / Milan / Education and Sport / Green City

Milan’s Vivaio Bicocca: from green area to urban ecosystem

Authorities want to do away with the passive status of nature in the city

May 20, 2022 13:15
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Greece / Athens / Education and Sport / Welfare and Health

Athens holds Cultural Summer Camp to help single-parent families

The programme targets young children whose parents cannot afford to stay home while school is closed

May 20, 2022 12:12

Welfare and Health

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Latvia / Riga / Digital transformation / Welfare and Health

Riga adds a drone to its summer lifeguard services

The city also added a new bathing area

May 20, 2022 17:41
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Greece / Athens / Education and Sport / Welfare and Health

Athens holds Cultural Summer Camp to help single-parent families

The programme targets young children whose parents cannot afford to stay home while school is closed

May 20, 2022 12:12
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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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Sweden / Interviews

Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh: Malmö Resilience Hub will have the potential to connect cities on the Baltic Sea

May 11, 2022 15:26
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Bulgaria / Blagoevgrad / Interviews / Politics and Reforms

Ilko Stoyanov: Municipalities face the brunt of global crises

Apr 28, 2022 10:43
Denis Balgaranov
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Portugal / Matosinhos / Interviews / New European Bauhaus

Catarina Selada on the first-ever platform that assigns credits for saved carbon emissions

Apr 26, 2022 13:25
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Croatia / Dubrovnik / Zagreb / Digital transformation / Interviews

Tanja Polegubic: The rise of digital nomads will reshape cities in 3 ways

Mar 23, 2022 11:13
Svilena Iotkovska
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Spain / Interviews / New European Bauhaus

A garden is a laboratory of coexistence, where humans and non-humans interact to create more diverse, rich and resilient environments

Feb 18, 2022 13:44
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Spain / Interviews

Inés Rey: We’ve been a 15-minute city even before the term became widely known

Feb 16, 2022 12:46
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov
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Croatia / Jastrebarsko / Interviews

Zvonimir Novosel: Our main obligation is to serve our citizens and justify their trust

Feb 15, 2022 11:09
Svilena Iotkovska
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Spain / Interviews

Luis Salaya: We want to build tourism based on sustainability and digitization

Feb 10, 2022 12:51
Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov

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Greece
Heraklion image

Heraklion

Heraklion
Vassilis Lambrinos
Mayor

Vassilis Lambrinos

Biography
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Heraklion is the birthplace of the Minoan civilization, the first European civilization, which appeared around 3000 BC.

After the fall of the Minoans, Heraklion, as well as the rest of Crete island, fared poorly. When the Romans arrived, some construction in the area began. During the early Byzantine times the area was teeming with pirates.

The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824 by the Arabs who had taken over the island from the Eastern Roman Empire. They built a moat around the city to protect it, naming the city "Castle of the Moat".

Byzantine forces attacked the city in 960, burning it down after its surrender in March 961. Soon it was rebuilt and renamed Chandax, remaining under Byzantine control for the next 243 years.

Chandax was bought by the Republic of Venice in 1204 as part of a complicated political deal. The Venetians built enormous fortifications, most of which still exist, and a fortress in the harbour. Chandax was renamed Candia and became the seat of the Duke of Candia, and the Venetian administrative district of Crete became Kingdom of Candia. In 1212, to secure their rule, Venetians began to resettle families from Venice on Crete. The two different cultures and the influence of the Italian Renaissance led to the Cretan Renaissance.   

During the Cretan War in 1645-69, the Ottomans besieged the city for 21 years, the longest siege in history. In 1669, the Ottoman army conquered the city. Under the Ottomans, the city was named Kandiye, but was informally known in Greek as Megalo Castro (Big Castle).

The autonomous Cretan State was created in 1898. During the period of direct occupation of Crete by the Great Powers, Candia was part of the British zone. At this time, the city was renamed Heraklion.

In 1913 Heraklion with the rest of Crete was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece.  In 1971 Heraklion became again capital of Crete, replacing Chania.

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Greece / Heraklion / Development / Education and Sport / Public Spaces

Heraklion to modernise its public spaces with EUR 6.5 million

It will upgrade its existing playgrounds and create new opportunities for outdoor recreational activities

Jan 19, 2022 14:31
Svilena Iotkovska
  • en
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Greece / Heraklion / Politics and Reforms / Welfare and Health

Municipalities join forces following 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Crete

Schools will be closed until all buildings are deemed safe to operate

Sep 27, 2021 16:31
Svilena Iotkovska
  • en
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Heraklion / Culture and Tourism

Heraklion to offer free guided tours to visitors

The municipality wants to help people get engaged with local culture and heritage

Jan 19, 2020 14:56
Anton Stoyanov
  • en
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Heraklion / Interviews

Heraklion has a rich cultural heritage and a sophisticated, modern life that is evolving every day

Interview with Vassilis Labrinos, Mayor of Heraklion, Greece

Jan 06, 2020 10:38
Monika Dimitrova

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