Most urban planners (and many travellers too) know that Brazilian cities are an extreme example of vicinity within the city between poor and rich areas. Brazil is well known for its gated communities and favelas, which reality has been exposed through the years in literature and films as reported on by Christina Horwath in her […]

Gender Equal Cities: a walk in the park?
‘Gender Equality’ has become one of the political zeitgeists of 2018, prompting institutions around the globe to take a closer look at how women and men interact in personal, professional and public spheres. But what does it mean for European cities? The new URBACT initiative, Gender Equal Cities, sought to provide some answers to this […]

Want to improve your health? MAKE YOU ACTIVE with friends and neighbours!
Ana Resende remembers meeting Hugo Nunes in Riga in 2015 and his role in transforming Loulé (PT) thanks to the VITAL CITIES network. By making sports facilities accessible to all, Loulé is a pioneering city offering an active, fit lifestyle to all its population, thanks to regular events and an accessible infrastructure. Loulé met partners […]

Love Your Block Unites Communities in Legacy Cities
We are all familiar with the narrative: A once-flourishing American city flush with middle-class jobs, a thriving industry, and vibrant neighborhoods experiences a protracted loss of jobs and residents. Cities like Detroit and Buffalo, often referred to as legacy cities and mostly scattered throughout the Midwest and Northeast, are characterized by abandoned steel mills and […]

How “Love Your Block” unites local leaders and residents to revitalize neighborhoods
Hubert Humphrey once said, “The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor.” But what happens when those hands link to achieve shared civic goals? Does government become less impersonal, and do neighbors help more effectively? These are among the questions explored by the Cities of Service Love Your Block […]

Send a Summer Postcard to Eurocities
It’s Time for Change At a time when Europe is striving to retain its legitimacy and relevance in the face of growing disillusionment and Euroscepticism, cities can provide a critical link with citizens. It’s time to change the way things are done in Europe. In a recent interview, Anna Lisa Boni, EUROCITIES Secretary General, emphasised […]

Cascais (PT) bets on its young people and involves them in its governance
Young people have something to say about their school conditions and their environment but often lack access to governance structures that take them into account. That is why the Portuguese City of Cascais has chosen to invest in involving its young people (from 10 to 17) in its democratic governance (Good Practice – Bridging the […]

5 Reads and a podcast on integrated urban planning to read over the summer
Is the office quieter than usual? Would you have some time to catch up with some food for thought on urban integrated development or are you looking for the best book to take with you for the holidays? From an interview with Renzo Piano to readings about how women will save the planet, here is […]