News

22.02.2008
Plastic bags under control?
ACR+, the Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and sustainable Resource management, has published the 2008 update of its report entitled " Plastic Bags - Policies and Practices to Reduce Consumption". The report, first issued in January 20...read more

22.02.2008
UN launches public transport campaign
Public transport operators are teaming up with the United Nations in a campaign to encourage people to leave their cars at home and take the bus, metro, train or tram instead. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP ) and the United N...read more

14.02.2008
European Commission presents policy priorities for 2009
On February 13 the European Commission presented its Annual Policy Strategy setting out its political priorities for 2009. It outlines the Commission's policy objectives in five priority areas: growth and jobs, climate change and sustainable Europe, ...read more

12.02.2008
Luc Van den Brande elected President of Committee of the Regions
On 6 February 2008, Belgian politician Luc Van den Brande was elected as President of the EU's Committee of the Regions. He is the eighth President of the political assembly, which gives local and regional government representatives a voice in Europe...read more

12.02.2008
New Deal for Communities is turning around England’s most deprived areas
According to a recent report of the Centre for Regional, Economic & Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, the UK Government's £2bn New Deal for Communities (NDC) programme is delivering real improvements to people's lives, raising satisfact...read more

06.02.2008
Local councils in the UK help immigrants 'fit in'
The UK government has started a new initiative to help migrants fit in their new communities. According to community secretary Hazel Blears newcomers should receive help from local councils to make it easier for them to adapt to their new environment...read more

05.02.2008
London launches world's largest 'low-emission zone'
Trucks driving around the UK capital will be fined up to £200 per day if they are found to be over EU pollution standards in an attempt to improve the city's poor air quality. The initiative will be closely watched in Brussels as the Commission is cu...read more

05.02.2008
America´s Most Miserable Cities
Research shows that many Americans have to live in miserable cities. The economic indicator most often used to measure misery is the Misery Index. A Misery Score also exists, which is the sum of corporate, personal, employer and sales taxes in differ...read more

04.02.2008
Public transport company in Odense introduces SMS-ticket
For the first time in Denmark it is possible to buy your ticket to the bus with your mobile phone. The public transport company FynBus entered the world of technology by launching the SMS-ticket. Passengers in the city buses as well as in the regiona...read more

04.02.2008
Ten European cities sign up to environmental campaign
After leaders from ten European cities launched a covenant to address climate protection, mayors from other cites are asked to join them. This initiative encourages European cities and towns to act in the field of climate protection, and is an import...read more

30.01.2008
“Single young females want cities to be fun, accessible and safe”
“Single young females want cities to be fun, accessible and safe,” Kay S. Hymowitz, contributing editor of City Journal and fellow at the Manhattan Institute says. In her article ‘The New Girl Order’ she describes the recent rise of a ‘Sex and the Ci...read more

28.01.2008
MEPs call for sharper focus on jobs and growth potential of cultural industries
Cultural industries account for 2,6 % of the EU GDP (2003) and over five million Europeans worked in the sector in 2004. The cultural sector is growing faster than others, and thus has an important role in attaining the Lisbon strategy growth and job...read more

24.01.2008
Abu Dhabi to develop world's most environment friendly city
The government of Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), has announced its plans for developing the world's most environment friendly city. According to a report in ENN (Environmental News Network), the scheme for the "Mas...read more

24.01.2008
European Prize for Urban Public Space calls for submissions
The European Prize for Urban Public Space is a biennial competition that aims to highlight the importance of public space as a catalyst of urban life, and to recognise and foster investment by public administrations in its creation, conservation and ...read more

24.01.2008
Mayors from 50 cities compete for the 2008 World Mayor Award
A great mayor must possess good administrative abilities, be able to provide safety and security and protect the environment. Having the ability to foster good relations between communities from different cultural, racial and social backgrounds is al...read more

16.01.2008
"Cleanliness and order are a show-off of local governments' good will to solve urban problems"
“Cleanliness and order are a show-off of local governments’ good will to solve urban problems”, Volker Eick, one of the authors of the book ´Kontrollierte Urbanität´ states. He argues that as the gap between the urban rich and the local poor is growi...read more

14.01.2008
Liverpool (UK) & Stavanger (NO) launch European Capital of Culture 2008 years
Last week, the cities of Liverpool and Stavenger proudly launched their European Capital of Culture 2008 years. The ECOC initiative was launched in 1985 following a proposal put forward by the Greek Minister of Culture Melina Mercouris. Its goal was ...read more

10.01.2008
China and Germany launch city-to-city rail freight service
The railways of Germany and China are planning to launch direct freight rail links between the two countries major cities. The first such link will be between Beijing and Hamburg. On 8 January, the first train left the Chinese capital for the German ...read more

07.01.2008
German cities ban ‘dirty’ cars from entering downtown areas
On 1 January 2008 three German cities introduced a ban on polluting cars entering their downtown areas. Cars without catalytic converters or diesel dust filters are no longer allowed into the centres of Berlin, Cologne and Hannover.read more

07.01.2008
European Commission to promote clean and energy efficient vehicles
On December 19th 2007, the European Commission adopted a proposal that aims to reduce fuel consumption as well as CO2 and pollutant emissions from road vehicles. A substantial reduction may be achieved by public authorities procuring clean and energy...read more