Friday

25th Aug 2017

  1. Magazine
  2. Regions & Cities
Vienna: A reluctant cosmopolis

Vienna excels in quality of life surveys due to its local government, but Austria's capital may need to show more openness to foreign influences if its success is to endure.

The stress hormone and EU garden cities

European town planners still borrow from the “garden city” ideals of the 19th century, but they might be doing more harm than good.

Brussels 2030

The EU capital has had an awful year. Looking forward, the city needs to urgently make itself a better place for people to live in and visit, starting with its notorious problems with congestion, pollution and bureaucracy.

Eric Maurice

'It's our duty to turn the migration challenge into an opportunity'

The arrival of more than 1 million refugees has posed a major challenge for cities. The Urban Agenda launched by regional policy commissioner Corina Cretu is an effort to deal with it.

Dieselgate casts doubt over low emission zones

Many European cities use low emission zones, and some are considering to ban dirty cars. But there are limits to how well the EU standards can be used to determine which cars are clean.

Cities demand access to EU migration funds

Cities are struggling to deal with the influx of refugees and asylum seekers, but EU funds go to national governments, and mayors complain they are getting no help.

A world without waste

A garbage crisis in Naples, Italy, gave birth to the "zero waste" movement, but is the rest of Europe brave enough to change the way it thinks about trash?

Back to the Future by Hyperloop

Cars that run on petrol or diesel are meant to be a rarity by the year 2050. Progress is slow. But some Nordic cities have radical visions of how a "Hyperloop" could change that.

Old cities, new shapes

After centuries of development, the European model of cities is trying to put people first.

EU cities try their own 'Ubers'

As some places struggle to deal with the impact of firms like Uber and Airbnb, other cities are embracing the change and seeking to learn.

Europe's rare youthful villages

Some villages in the EU are bucking the trend by attracting young people. But unless there is outside funding and local action, Europe's countryside will be full of ghosts.

Copenhagen harbour swimming

Copenhagen harbour, like many of its kind, used to stink of oil and garbage. Now, people swim in canals around the parliament, passing shoals of fish and jellyfish.

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersTrust Is the New Nordic Gold
  2. European Jewish CongressEuropean Governments Must Take Stronger Action Against Terrorism
  3. European Healthy Lifestyle AllianceDoes Genetics Explain Why So Few of Us Have an Ideal Cardiovascular Health?
  4. EU2017EEFuture-Themed Digital Painting Competition Welcomes Artists - Deadline 31 Aug
  5. ACCABusinesses Must Grip Ethics and Trust in the Digital Age
  6. European Jewish CongressEJC Welcomes European Court of Justice's Decision to Keep Hamas on Terror List
  7. UNICEFReport: Children on the Move From Africa Do Not First Aim to Go to Europe
  8. Centre Maurits CoppietersWe Need Democratic and Transparent Free Trade Agreements Says MEP Jordi Solé
  9. Counter BalanceOut for Summer, Ep. 2: EIB Promoting Development in Egypt - At What Cost?
  10. EU2017EELocal Leaders Push for Local and Regional Targets to Address Climate Change
  11. European Healthy Lifestyle AllianceMore Women Than Men Have Died From Heart Disease in Past 30 Years
  12. European Jewish CongressJean-Marie Le Pen Faces Trial for Oven Comments About Jewish Singer

Peter Teffer

Smart cities: helping to improve our lives and save the planet

The smart city, its supporters say, can simultaneously tackle the two challenges most cities face: population growth and climate change.

Student villages on the water

Students will soon be able to move into converted shipping containers in Gothenburg. Architects hope to spread their idea of cheap, waterside living across Europe.

Analysis

Juncker's unrealistic promise of free wifi

The commission president said "every European village and every city" will have public internet access in 2020, but the statement was not backed up by any legally binding target.

Focus

Danish-Swedish border checks cause stress, delays

Number of people going by train between Denmark and Sweden dropped 12 percent since Sweden introduced anti-migrant ID controls. After 60 years of Nordic free travel, people hate the scheme.

Populist mayor takes Rome in setback for Renzi

Virginia Raggi's rise to power indicates falling support for the PM, who vowed to resign if voters don't back his constitutional reform in a referendum in autumn.

EU cities want say on refugee policy

Overwhelmed by refugees and let down by national governments, European cities had to step in. Now they want more funding and a seat at the table on migration policy.

Domino effect: Denmark follows Sweden on EU border checks

“May I see your ID?” - five little words on a train platform in Copenhagen on Monday mark the end of 60 years of Nordic free travel, as first Sweden, then Denmark impose new border checks amid the refugee crisis.

Climate host Paris's green goals bogged down by bureaucracy

The French capital, host of climate talks four weeks from now, has set ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. But a multi-layered regional administration limits the impact of its actions.

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. ACCAAnnounces Belt & Road Research at Shanghai Conference
  2. ECPAFood Waste in the Field Can Double Without Crop Protection. #WithOrWithout #Pesticides
  3. EU2017EEEstonia Allocates €1 Million to Alleviate Migratory Pressure From Libya in Italy
  4. Dialogue PlatformFethullah Gulen's Message on the Anniversary of the Coup Attempt in Turkey
  5. Martens CentreWeeding Out Fake News: An Approach to Social Media Regulation
  6. European Jewish CongressEJC Concerned by Normalisation of Antisemitic Tropes in Hungary
  7. Counter BalanceOut for Summer Ep. 1: How the EIB Sweeps a Development Fiasco Under the Rug
  8. CESICESI to Participate in Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee on Postal Services
  9. ILGA-EuropeMalta Keeps on Rocking: Marriage Equality on Its Way
  10. European Friends of ArmeniaEuFoA Director and MEPs Comment on the Recent Conflict Escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh
  11. EPSUEP Support for Corporate Tax Transparency Principle Unlikely to Pass Reality Check