Energy Transition in Europe | www.energy-cities.eu

We have to produce more to feed a growing population - but what if it is the other way round?

Identify a handful of adjacent city blocks, restrict traffic to the perimeter, and make the interior for walking, biking, and green space. A new study finds it could work even in cities with an irregular street grid.

Cities are particularly deadly in a heat wave— but fatalities are not inevitable.

As temperature records tumble across the Continent, the death toll from the extreme heat is starting to become apparent. Last Friday, for example, a municipal street cleaner in Madrid died of heat stroke while working outdoors in temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius. On Saturday another worker died after spending several hours in a warehouse where temperatures surpassed 46C.

A living wall composed of pockets of greenery installed on the outside of a building can shrink the amount of heat lost through an un-insulated wall by nearly one-third, according to a new study.

The findings suggest a new strategy for making older buildings more energy efficient. “Living walls have the potential to contribute to the improvement of the overall thermal performance of existing buildings,” says study team member Matthew Fox, a lecturer at the University of Plymouth School of Architecture in the UK.

Climate activism has become increasingly synonymous with rebellion. International groups like Zero Hour and Extinction Rebellion create images of huge crowds of people protesting and raising awareness about the climate crisis.

Guerrilla gardening is the act of cultivating plants in a public place, usually in a spot that is not otherwise being cared for, often with the aim of improving the surroundings and protecting the environment. It has a range of benefits from improving biodiversity to helping to keep temperatures low.

The mayor of Bordeaux Pierre Hurmic inaugurated the first micro-forest of the city on a place until then reserved for car parking, an operation “emblematic” of the greening plan led by the new ecological town hall. “We haven’t been here for a long time but we are starting to break the asphalt. It is an …

Recovering urban wildlife isn’t just about protecting a city’s parks and rivers, but also making its streets, homes and skyscrapers greener.

From Madrid to Berlin and Paris to Budapest, scientists and planners agree, trees, trees and yet more trees can help make Europe’s cities more comfortable – even survivable – over the coming years, as global heating strengthens its grip.

Around the world, cities are implementing measures to reduce or mitigate the effects of rising temperatures. To protect the most vulnerable groups of citizens, the City Council of Barcelona has decided to create a network of climate shelters. These are specially conditioned spaces kept at 26 degrees Celsius with good accessibility, rest, and water areas to ease the sensation of heat. Spaces across the city are adapted to serve as shelters, with local schools being one of the primary resources used in the program.

When you come to think of it, most of the food on your plate has a history behind it - a long journey that we are unable to describe.

Is verticalization the ideal solution to make cities greener? And what are the impacts of this action in urban centers?