Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
A conversation with the mayor of Utrecht on the occasion of her mission to COP27
Sharon Dijksma is the 332nd mayor of Utrecht. She has served in this position since 2020.
In 1994 she was elected as a Member of Parliament for the PvdA (Dutch Labour Party). She was State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science from 2007-2010, State Secretary for Economic Affairs from 2012-2015 and State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment from 2015-2017.
From 2018-2020 she was the alderman for Traffic and Transport, Water and Air Quality of the Municipality of Amsterdam.
The main message I brought was that cities should be included in global policymaking on climate and the upcoming climate summits. Without cities, it will be impossible to tackle global warming. Moreover, cities want to lead the way. They facilitate innovation and have the capacity to invest on a large scale in clean mobility, green construction and creating a sustainable energy supply.
It was an exciting first step, but we need to make sure that this Ministerial will become a structural item on the agenda of future COPs as well. To make sure we won’t lose momentum, we should strive towards a more prominent role of cities in the international climate agenda.
It is time for real multi-level collaboration on all levels to keep the Paris goal of 1.5 degrees alive. A way to do so is to include cities in the Nationally Determined Contributions submitted to the UNFCCC.
Simply put, we have no time to lose. Heatwaves, extreme droughts and floods threaten the already vulnerable parts of our world. It is vital that we set our sights on the action at both COP27 and beyond, with the important goal of ensuring that the parties that can make a difference make their voices heard.
Good question. I believe that many cities have always played a part as a frontrunner of progressive climate policies but were simply never granted both financial aid and influence on national and international levels. I hope that with our efforts, cities’ voices will be heard more loudly in the future.
Utrecht has an extensive network of bike infrastructure throughout the city to encourage clean and healthy transportation. And we also have the biggest bike parking garage in the world.
Recently we have even turned a four-lane highway that used to be a historic canal going straight to the city, back to its original state. Now rainwater can be stored, and nature is allowed to flourish again.
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The previous mayor was forced out of office following a no-confidence vote in the city council
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The German Aerospace Center in Cologne is looking for volunteers for its next bed rest study
Muksubussi is nature-friendly, too, so they provide 2-in-1 benefit
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
The intervention has affected the mountainous districts of the Catalan capital
Even an Eternal City had to start from somewhere
On this day 200 years ago, the great poet lost his life in the Balkan country where he had gone to fight for its liberty
Muksubussi is nature-friendly, too, so they provide 2-in-1 benefit
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team