04.07.2008
World Mayor 2008 - the final shortlist
Public voting for World Mayor 2008 has now ended. Between January of this year and the end of June more than 200,000 people from around the world cast their votes for and commented on mayors who they thought worthy of the 2008 Award. The World Mayor ...read more

04.07.2008
EUROCITIES launches cities’ initiative on climate change
On 20 June, leading politicians from Europe’s major cities agreed on a common declaration to combat climate change at a meeting of EUROCITIES in Lyon. The main focus of activities will be on taking concrete actions within the cities engaging in this ...read more

01.07.2008
London's canal network: opportunity for viable and sustainable freight transport
During the industrial revolution, the canals of London were used extensively. However, in the previous century they became very empty. It wasn’t a change in English eating habits that extinguished the oldest of freight transport modes, but rather con...read more

26.06.2008
Climate change and the challenges for public health: engaging the regions
The European Regional Local Health Authorities and the Health (EUREGHA) and Environment Alliance (HEAL) in collaboration with Veneto Region and North West England organised a conference on "Climate change and the challenges for public health: engagin...read more

24.06.2008
Serve the City: helping the city together
Volunteers from Belgium and abroad who work to make the city more liveable, that is the idea behind Serve the City. In Brussels, 50 projects have been planned. "Change is needed. Serve the City mobilises volunteers to show kindness in practical ways ...read more

23.06.2008
Wanted: young urban professional beekeepers
Germany is running out of bees. But urban beekeeping may just be the solution. The country's aging beekeepers are looking to attract young city dwellers to the hobby.read more

19.06.2008
Poorest regions of Europe swiftly regain ground
Commissioner Danuta Hübner has unveiled the 5th progress report on economic and social cohesion. The first part presents an analysis of the results of the public consultation launched last year on the future of Regional Policy. Not only is the Cohesi...read more

19.06.2008
"In Spain housing has long been conceived as an investment rather than a right of citizens"
“In Spain housing has long been conceived as an investment rather than a right of citizens”, says José Luis Arroyo, responsible for housing at the Spanish Youth Council. Compared to other European countries, Spain has experienced one of the most prof...read more

17.06.2008
New Orleans re-built by residents - not by government or starchitects
New Orleanians have been able to revive their city without much government involvement or 'starchitect' influence. In August 2005 the city was severely hit by Hurricane Katrina, leaving the city in ruins and largely abandoned. Ever since, residents h...read more

17.06.2008
The most expensive cities in the world, Asia and Europe
Deciding on which is the world’s most expensive city is a little bit like choosing between the merits of various world heavy weight boxing champions. Until a few years ago the choice was between Tokyo and London. But in its 2007 ‘Worldwide cost of li...read more

16.06.2008
Boston Battles Foreclosures
As in other cities and towns in the United States, the first wave of the global lending crunch is hitting hard in poorer Boston neighborhoods. But Mayor Tom Menino is not waiting for Washington to swoop to the rescue. Instead, he is treating foreclos...read more

16.06.2008
Could you be a European e-Inclusion Champion?
The European Commission has established the e-Inclusion Awards to raise awareness, encourage participation and promote and recognise excellence and best practice in using ICT and digital technology to tackle social and digital exclusion across Europe...read more

16.06.2008
Swiss and German cities dominate ranking of best cities in the world
Zurich, Vienna and Geneva are the best cities in the world as far as quality of live is concerned, says Mercer Consulting in a survey published in June 2008. Vancouver (Canada) and Auckland (New Zealand) are placed fourth and fifth respectively, foll...read more

16.06.2008
Eastern cities are winning the battle for the world´s skyline
Skylines have been important elements of attraction for cities in the past 100 years. This article 'the battle for the world´s skyline´, published in ´Spiegel Online´, explores the global battle among cities for the best skyline. Whereas New York use...read more

12.06.2008
Bridge in China's urban-rural gap will steady labour market
Among the wide variety of topics discussed after the May 12 earthquake, one is particularly interesting: whether the quake would worsen the labor shortage in China.read more

10.06.2008
“Tallinn is breaking free from its one-time reputation as a stag-night city”
In 2011 Tallinn will be European Capital of Culture. Twenty years ago the city was still the capital of the ‘Estonian SSR’. Today it is the capital of an independent Estonia, a country home to one of the fastest growing economies of the European Unio...read more

05.06.2008
The Demographic Risk Map
Demographic change in Europe is already predictable. It is no future scenario with an unknown probability of actually occurring, but a forecastable trend: the population is ageing across Europe, and populations are shrinking at a local level. But wha...read more

04.06.2008
In search of the territory: follow-up of the Territorial Agenda and the Leipzig Agenda
On the 29th of May, the Austrian Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning (ÖIR) presented a follow-up study on the "Territorial Agenda" and the "Leipzig Charter" (on urban development) in the European Parliament . Both documents were agree...read more

03.06.2008
Abu Dhabi: East leans West
Each month, 25,000 people from around the globe arrive in the United Arab Emirates, seeking jobs, contracts, and political stability. Walk past the gleaming new skyscrapers, government buildings, fountains, and shopping malls that line the immaculate...read more

02.06.2008
The Rise of the Mega-Region
When people talk about economic competitiveness, the focus tends to be on nation states. In the 1980s, many were obsessed with the rise of Japan. Today, our gaze has shifted to the phenomenal growth of Brazil, Russia, India and China. But this focus ...read more