From homeless, anonymous guy to TV star, at least for one day. Alexandre has appeared on French media , sitting on a bridge in Lyon, while inviting passers-by to give him money by scanning a QR Code with their smartphone .

Cities are highly complex systems with challenges such as pollution, traffic congestion, high energy consumption and economic development. All over Europe, many cities are now engaged in making themselves "smarter" by going green and going digital.

It is a familiar sight for any city dweller: the truck double parked or stopping traffic on a busy road to deliver some package at a house door. Commercial deliveries are an increasing congestion issue, particularly for European historical city centres.

European cities are well aware that transport is a leading emitter of GHGs (Greenhouse Gas, a 33% share in 2019, according to the IEA , International Energy Agency), so decarbonisation of public transport systems is a key component of net-zero carbon strategies.

A new report by Gothenburg, Sweden-headquartered carmaker Volvo shows that electric vehicles must still overcome big environmental challenges, even as they reduce greenhouse gas emissions .

Sales of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are increasing as consumers and automakers alike benefit from European government subsidies for electric vehicles.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are starting to win market share in Europe, as consumers opt for cleaner technology and lawmakers strengthen emissions rules for automakers in a bid to bring down pollution levels.

Battery electric cars are slowly gaining in popularity among consumers in Europe as mainstream automakers respond to an industry-wide shift away from petrol and diesel vehicles.

Sales of electric vehicles are slowly beginning to gain traction in Europe as mainstream brands including Volkswagen, BMW, Fiat, Opel and Hyundai start to roll out battery-powered models.

What if Santa rode a four-legged robot? What looks like a sci-fi fairy tale might soon come true. Nowadays it is not reindeers that bring holiday gifts to our homes, it is most often a cumbersome, noisy and polluting van.

Willingly or forced by circumstances, cities across Europe have slowly started to change their vision about urban mobility.

As expected, car sales have decreased world-wide as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Real-time information about public transport is critical in allowing a responsible choice of a wide range of transport modes, thus reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions in urban areas.

Global transport accounts for almost one quarter of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, and the proportion is rising.

Cycling in busy cities can be very dangerous. According to the World Health Organization 54% of traffic-related death are among pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.

Local governments in Europe are notoriously risk averse, city council officials and industry leaders won’t hesitate to tell you.

When Justin Bieber made his way to Stockholm in September 2016, city officials hardly expected the tween heartthrob to pave the way for sustainable urban policy .

Fittingly, for an author who argues that connectivity is the key driver of growth in the modern age, Parag Khanna seems to have ties all over the world, and roots in many of the largest urban centres. ...

Like every year, December 3 will be a United Nations sanctioned International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) . The aim is to increase public awareness of the conditions of disabled people and, at the same time, to celebrate their achievements and contributions.

Poor air quality costs Europe more than €700 million per year, in health expenditures and loss of economic performance, according to official EU sources.