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Go green, go fast: Alkmaar speeds up to tackle climate change Go green, go fast: Alkmaar speeds up to tackle climate change

Cemented areas turned into complex ecosystems, energy-producing noise barriers, and lampposts charging e-cars and e-boats. Going green and enhancing its precious landscape is Alkmaar’s way of tackling climate change: “The key is reinterpreting heritage, through technological innovations”

June 2023
Powering Inclusion to fuel democracy: the energy efficiency factor Powering Inclusion to fuel democracy: the energy efficiency factor

About 47 million EU citizens can’t afford to heat their homes, with high material costs and poor financing options blocking renovations. But the impact of energy efficiency goes beyond just savings. “Public support for housing upgrades is vital to European democracy,” experts warn. “Without it, we risk losing key parts of the social fabric.”

October 2024
Old concepts, new paradigms: the business model challenge in the smart city era Old concepts, new paradigms: the business model challenge in the smart city era

How to monetise environmental benefits? What’s the value of reducing traffic and emissions? Economic savings and traditional methods are not enough: to calculate the profitability of smart and sustainable cities, we need to rethink the concept of business model.

March 2024
Together is better: when engaging citizens makes cities smarter Together is better: when engaging citizens makes cities smarter

Engaging rather than imposing top-down solutions. Community empowerment and trust-building make European cities smarter: Insights and innovations from a grassroots approach to urban planning.

February 2024
Smart and for all: the city of the future is human and inclusive Smart and for all: the city of the future is human and inclusive

Smart Cities: what’s in it for the citizens? Technology should empower people, but sometimes it becomes an end in itself rather than a means to an end. Cities must address problems like the digital divide, use technology to help the less privileged categories, and know when to intervene or step back to foster social values and inclusivity.

January 2024
Image credits: Espaço Municipal Cities for all: when inclusivity is key for tackling climate challenge

From the retrofitting of social housing blocks to the set-up of a “biodistrict”, co-designed by school pupils. When urban regeneration faces climate change from a new perspective: “Inclusive and beautiful is better. People must be proud of where they live”.

July 2023
Being human to be Smart: the cities’ challenge in the AI era Being human to be Smart: the cities’ challenge in the AI era

Accounting for over 70% of global CO2 emissions, cities are key in reducing our carbon footprint. But technology is not enough, experts warn, to address the new challenges. To be really “smart”, a city must take into account the main recipients of this transformation: the citizen.

June 2023
From army barrack to eco-village: enhancing the interaction of circular solutions From army barrack to eco-village: enhancing the interaction of circular solutions

Watch the Houseful Video News Release to discover how the eco-village of Cambium is adopting circular solutions. 

May 2023
Under the Turkish sun: Antalya goes solar Under the Turkish sun: Antalya goes solar

Turkey's tourist capital on the Mediterranean coast, Antalya, has the distinction of being surrounded by both mountains and a famous crystal-clear sea.

January 2023
Powering the future: energy partnerships for sustainable smart cities Powering the future: energy partnerships for sustainable smart cities

The vertical relationship between energy utilities and their customers is giving way to partnership and innovation, as citizens take an increasingly prominent role in the leadership of the energy transition

January 2022
Brexit and the UK’s decarbonisation efforts: a hit or a miss? Brexit and the UK’s decarbonisation efforts: a hit or a miss?

Post-Brexit is a challenging era for the United Kingdom's climate and environmental policy. Some experts believe that the new situation will speed up the country’s plans while others worry it will thwart them

February 2021
Climate change fight still makes the EU headlines during the Covid-19 crisis Climate change fight still makes the EU headlines during the Covid-19 crisis

The coronavirus emergency won’t affect the timeline of the EU’s Green Deal. This is despite some fossil-fuel-reliant countries asking the Commission to put its flagship policy on hold, even if they stand to benefit most from the Deal's Just Transition Fund

April 2020
Smart city and wise city Smart city and wise city

The term smart cities mainly refers to the field of technology. Some fear that the intelligent cities of the future will be massively robotic, with algorithms dominating people. Hence the need for more citizen engagement in designing the digital revolution of their urban spaces

October 2019
Greece is first Balkan country to announce a coal phase-out date. The revolution has already started in Western Macedonia Greece is first Balkan country to announce a coal phase-out date. The revolution has already started in Western Macedonia

The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis surprised the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York by announcing the end of the use of coal by 2028 and the dismantling of plants. This is our report from Western Macedonia, the leading energy producing area of Greece, where they are analysing viable solutions to replace lignite

October 2019
Nottingham ready to beat Theresa May’s climate targets Nottingham ready to beat Theresa May’s climate targets

As Theresa May signs into law a commitment to bring the UK’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, one city in the UK is on its way to achieving this goal 22 years sooner

June 2019
Florence: Renaissance and smart future Florence: Renaissance and smart future

The Italian city has recently become a model smart city by implementing a broad plan ranging from urban development to mobility and new tourism management

March 2019
Waste heat from power plants hits home Waste heat from power plants hits home

District heating systems that use industrial waste are increasingly common, which helps the transition to a circular economy.

December 2018
How can smart cities finance their transformation? How can smart cities finance their transformation?

Smart solutions are innovations. Therefore, by nature, they’re often new and untested - which is a scary feature for potential investors, who want safe and predictable results. So what are some attractive financing schemes for “intelligent” cities?

April 2018
The City for Tomorrow The City for Tomorrow

On February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol entered into force. The first global agreement of history to reduce carbon dioxide emissions was based on the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring. Thirteen years later, how do we stand now given the recent developments?

February 2018
Efficient, Cheap and Green Efficient, Cheap and Green

Reducing CO2 emissions is not only about adapting new technologies, but ensuring that these technologies are also being accepted by the public.

October 2017
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