Smart cities – EURACTIV.com

Despite the massive funding available for the development of smart cities in China, and the leading role that the US is playing in hi-tech city infrastructure, Europe remains a key player in the development of interconnected urban spaces, according to Microsoft’s Joel Cherkis.

Energy is at the top of the agenda in Europe, today. Macro-economics and geopolitics aside, Brussels' decision makers should devote more attention to the local level, where the fight is taken up by citizens and mayors alike, Zbigniew Michniowski writes.

Research shows that cities across the world have lost the sense of neighbourhood and community living that used to make people feel more connected to each other and urban environments happier places to live.

The Smart City World Congress provides a platform for innovators to meet with people who can implement their ideas. This year's edition is promoting projects that solve everyday problems. EURACTIV's partner El País - Planeta Futuro reports.

The UN climate change summit (COP21), which opens in Paris next week, “will be meaningless” if it doesn’t include a positive agenda for economic growth, warns Jeremy Rifkin.

The cities of the developed world are beginning to adapt to climate change, but financing for adaptation in the Global South is far harder to come by, according to a study published in the journal Nature. Our partner Journal de l'Environnement reports.

The European Commission is pushing local authorities to digitise cities and make them more efficient—one radical plan bubbling up could minimise the number of cars on city streets.

The European Commission’s vision of an Energy Union with citizens at its core, where consumers take ownership of the energy transition, is to be applauded but needs to be followed up with genuine policy change, writes Jonathan Gaventa.

Saving energy consumption in buildings will play a key part in Europe’s transition to a clean, secure and efficient energy system.

A network of major European cities has called on the EU to place its members at the heart of efforts to boost digital skills, tackle unemployment and prepare citizens for the high value jobs of the future.

Repatriating competences to the member states is not going to help citizens enjoy a better environment, Jeremy Wates tells EURACTIV Slovakia.

DR Congo’s impasse between an unplanned urbanisation of slum expansion and a dystopian dream world of Dubai-inspired gated compounds is on display at a show in Brussels – the former colonial master of what is now one of the world’s poorest countries.

Africa’s population will double by 2050, according to a new report from the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) in Washington – posing serious questions about the sustainabililty of the world’s poorest continent.

Local and regional authorities are stepping up their efforts to fight climate change, but limited access to finance often holds them back, Philippe Orliange told Cécile Barbière from EURACTIV France.

Politicians should be less concerned with protecting the polluting industries of the past and invest instead in the future, said Vidar Helgesen, calling on policymakers to speed up the transition to a green economy with environmental taxation schemes.

EXCLUSIVE / One of the keynote announcements of Jean-Claude Juncker's State of the Union address last week was the European External Investment Plan. EU development aid chief Neven Mimica gives the details in an interview with EURACTIV.com

Those familiar with Brussels’ routines know that, at this time of the year, EU institutions’ representatives gather to agree on the budget for 2017. Negotiations are known to be passionate, to say the least, writes Tamira Gunzburg.

21,000 people die every day from hunger or food shortages, and some 795 million go to bed hungry each night, according to the new Global Hunger Index, published on Tuesday (11 October).

Some 90% of urban growth over the next 30 years will happen in developing countries. If we squander the chance to set them on the path to sustainability now, it may be lost for ever, write Eva Dic and Maria-Theres Haase.

AidEx, the second-biggest event in the development calendar in Brussels, opens today (16 November), for 48 hours, in which the international aid community, NGOs, professionals come together to share experiences and expertise.

What are intelligent buildings, why are they important and how can we realise their full potential? Christiane Egger takes a closer look at the growing market for intelligent buildings.

Cities need to be at the centre of Europe's energy policies because they create sustainable supplies and boost job growth, writes Anna Lisa Boni.

Digitalisation opens up new avenues for us in many areas and modern technologies make our lives easier and more enjoyable. The EU’s pursuit of progress is admirable but constantly setting new targets is not always the best way to promote innovation, writes Herbert Reul.

Michael Berkowitz, an expert on resilient cities, praises the work done by many European municipalities in preparing for risks linked to climate change, for example. But Europe should relax its privacy laws in order to better harness the power of data and deal with other emerging challenges, he claimed.

According to Dita Charanzová, smart cities are about bettering the lives of Europe's citizens. They'll not only improve urban life but the environment too, she told Euractiv.com

The European Commission this week will urge EU member states and the private sector to get more involved in the development of the next generation of broadband networks enabling the digital revolution, as the World Mobile Congress opens in Barcelona.

Europe lacks a "global mentality" when it comes to innovation in the digital technology sector, Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Digital) Willem Jonker told EURACTIV Spain.

Local governments around Europe paid €7.6 billion to light public streets in 2015, but their bills could be cut down by up to 70% if local governments are willing to shell out extra funds to install new lighting.

240 European cities with populations over 100,000 have some "smart city" features--meaning they use technology to improve their energy use, transport systems or other infrastructure, according to European Parliament research.

Donald Trump pulling out of the Paris Agreement is not the end of the world. Cities and towns are moving ahead in localising the energy transition but to fully harness their potential, local governments need to be empowered and equipped with the right tools, argues Philipp Thaler.

Concerns that sharing schemes do not deliver a net reduction in car use are not supported by evidence, writes Greg Archer. Now, digitisation and the sharing economy provide an opportunity to reduce the number of vehicles in our cities even further, he contends.

Catalonia and Barcelona will host the sixth international conference on urban security and inclusive cities. President of the Government of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont Casamajó writes about how proud he is to be host of the conference.

Europe will have to work hard against competitors in China and the US to be a global leader in digital solutions for transport, an MEP involved in the issue told EURACTIV.com in an interview. Legislation must ensure common standards across the EU for transport to flow freely, she stressed.

Digitalisation of transport is going to transform Europe's industry, but the political framework needs to put in place common standards and regulate the free flow of data, as well as its management and privacy, industry and EU officials said this week.

This year the Estonian EU Presidency is putting eGovernment at the forefront of discussions leading up to a Tallinn Declaration. Estonia is ranked number 1 in the EU and has emerged as a global leader in eGovernment operations.

Climate change is an urgent issue that demands global action. Following the Paris Climate Agreement, Europe has embraced the clean power transition and set itself a goal of becoming the world’s number one in renewables.

The smart home is capturing headlines with its futuristic possibilities of smart cars, fridges and thermostats all connected to each other. However, it is important to be realistic. The current state of the smart home is not even close to this vision, writes Paige Leuschner.

Cross-border and inter-regional cooperation in cohesion and research & development spending is still limited, but very much needed to prevent a multi-speed Europe writes Lambert van Nistelrooij. To unlock Europe's growth opportunities, the MEP calls for smart regional specialisation and an Innovation Pact 2.0.

Stockholm produces more billion dollar companies than any other place outside Silicon Valley and the European Commission recently proclaimed it Europe's most innovative region. Mayor Karin Wanngård explained how her city hangs onto its talent and why it is such a popular breeding ground for 'unicorns'.

To achieve ambitious climate goals in line with the Paris Agreement, cities will need to implement major changes to their energy systems by 2030. The good news is that the transformation in the energy sector is making such ambitious programmes much more feasible and European cities are in the forefront, writes Eric Woods.

As the EU's annual industry day approaches, the time is ripe to deliver on an ambitious industrial strategy that builds on Europe’s unique strengths, unlocks the potential of digital technology and data, and helps innovative companies solve societal challenges, writes Malte Lohan.

In Germany, cities applying for funding of Smart Cities projects face steep hurdles and private companies, not citizens, seem to be the main winners. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Pressure is mounting on the European Commission ahead of a decision it is expected to announce this autumn that will affect how internet-connected cars are built in Europe.

While a coordinated operation of all building systems can achieve significant energy savings, those systems are too often installed in siloes hindering to unlock the full potential, writes Tom Machinchick.

From mobility services to recycling applications, the sharing economy holds many promises. Whether to regulate it at European level remains a disputed question, however.

Uber and Airbnb have shown how city services can be transformed by platform offerings. Developing the right platforms will be key for cities to ensure that their economies, environment, and services are fit for the future, writes Eric Woods.

The digitisation of the EU's construction industry is an oft-overlooked area of technological development, both politically and socially. EURACTIV.com spoke to Milena Feustel to shine a light on the sector and explore the direction the digital construction is going in across Europe.

Taking place across 6-8 May, Berlin's Re:publica is one of the world's largest conferences on digital culture. EURACTIV Germany took the chance to head along and sit down with Francesca Bria to discuss Spain's role in the EU's digital revolution.

Transport is turning increasingly to digitalisation to cut costs, boost services and reduce emissions. But the potential of data sharing, seen as a major opportunity and challenge in equal measure, needs to be unlocked. MEP Josianne Cutajar explained how the EU aims to do just that.

In Germany, e-government and open data remain largely untapped potentials despite holding enormous economic opportunities and being basic prerequisites for smarter cities, a recently published OECD study shows. EURACTIV Germany reports.

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