Rotterdam's district council model of democracy is diversifying representation and empowering neighbourhoods to shape their future.
6 minute readThe EU guarantees freedom of movement for European citizens, but in practice it can be difficult or even dangerous. Rotterdam is fighting exploitation to make everyone welcome and safe.
10 minute readNoiseless and good for the climate: trailblazing e-trucks are taking waste collection into the future in Gothenburg. Other cities from the Big Buyers for Climate and Environment project are taking note.
6 minute readTake a tour of Rotterdam to get a glimpse into the future of clean transport. Wide cycling boulevards, green pedestrian areas, shared electric transport showcase the city’s shift to clean mobility.
5 minute readAn archive alive! In Rotterdam, people are literally making history thanks to this innovative digital approach.
6 minute readRotterdam wants to tackle climate change through a key instrument - public procurement. Just check out their latest green purchase.
4 minute readHow one city is turning disadvantaged unemployed citizens into a thriving, motivated workforce through social clauses in public procurement.
6 minute readRoof gardens make better air in the city and attract bees and butterflies – as well as human nature lovers.
5 minute readLot Mertens has been Rotterdam’s Local Democracy Cheerleader since April 2022. In the latest of our Urban Pioneers series, she goes into how she’s boosting civic engagement – bridging the gap between citizens and city hall in her trademark pink overalls.
5 minute readOn 17-19 April, Rotterdam brought together the members of the Eurocities Digital Forum, putting digital inclusion at the top of the European agenda.
7 minute readFor many years, the digital innovation race forgot to include a social dimension. It is time to put digital inclusion back on top of the political agenda.
6 minute readThis year's Eurocities awards showcase cities innovative approaches to tackling significant global challenges. Ahead of the awards ceremony on 30 May, discover the nine finalists.
5 minute readThere is a digital divide, and not just between young and old. Almost half of Europeans lack basic digital skills, an issue that cities are embracing a range of strategies to understand and address.
5 minute readIn a world where not everyone has the same access to these digital experiences, cities have a duty to ensure digital inclusion and bridge the digital divide.
6 minute readFinal negotiations tomorrow on the Cross-Border Enforcement Directive. Will foreign vehicles still get away with violating Urban Vehicle Access Regulations?
4 minute readIn an era increasingly defined by the omnipresence of artificial intelligence, the distinction between human-generated content and that crafted by digital technologies becomes ever more elusive.
4 minute readKnowledge and best practice sharing is a key enabling factor for cities that are on the way to becoming climate-neutral. The NetZeroCities Twinning Programme allows cities at the early stages of becoming climate neutral to learn from other pilots and their innovative solutions.
4 minute readUserCentriCities awarded London the 2023 UserCentriCities Award for its service ‘Talk London’, a civic engagement platform to engage citizens in local policymaking. Ghent and Rotterdam got the finalist positions.
3 minute readOver the past half year, a group of Eurocities member cities have developed a free to use and shareable data schema for AI registries that helps explain the use of artificial intelligence systems by government organisations.
7 minute readA free to use open-source ‘data schema’ for algorithm registers in cities has been tried and tested by nine cities over the last six months, and can now be adopted by others.
2 minute readFrom digital inclusion to better communication between cities, regional and national governments, cybersecurity is one of the most important topics within Europe's Digital Decade.
5 minute readThe European Commission has published a proposal for an updated Air Quality Directive. There are a lot of improvements, but is it really future-fit?
5 minute readAt Eurocities Digital Forum in Madrid, local politicians discussed how to make the most out of the digital transition to promote better urban living, including through the concept of digital twins, and by working more directly with the EU.
5 minute readBetween Espoo, Helsinki, and Rotterdam, who will be the first to win the UserCentriCities Award for best user-centric service in European cities and regions?
4 minute readCan we recycle our roads to make the process more sustainable? Find out what the European Big Buyers Working Group on circular road construction says about it.
4 minute readMobility data can help guide cities’ decisions and plans. But how can local authorities gain access to online information and get insights from them? Experts and cities at FastTrack’s Capacity Building Week provided some answers.
5 minute readThe war in Ukraine has further highlighted the need for Europe to embrace a swift transformation towards climate neutrality. The 'Fit for 55' package represents a historic opportunity to accelerate this transition, and push for energy independence.
8 minute readFor crowdsourcing aid and a digital social currency, Eurocities members Vilnius, Istanbul and Rotterdam have both won the prestigious Global Mayors Challenge from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
4 minute readRotterdam and San Francisco each have unique ways to encourage solidarity between social enterprises - strengthening the bottom-up network of organisations that are making a difference.
3 minute readOctober is European cyber security month, an issue that is becoming more important for cities; that’s why they want to join forces.
5 minute readRotterdam and other Eurocities members have been awarded World Mayor Prizes to recognise the positive work for their citizens.
4 minute readThe Mayors Alliance for the European Green Deal gathers together city leaders who are dedicated to making the sustainable transition possible, and aims to showcase city actions.
3 minute readA new alliance of more than 30 European mayors, aligned on the imperative to implement the European Green Deal at city level, say now is the time for Europe to stand firm on its climate commitments.
3 minute readCities want to take on a stronger role in the European recovery after the Covid crisis. They call for a direct cooperation with the European Commission.
2 minute readEight members of Eurocities are among the 50 finalists in the ‘Global Mayors Challenge’ for the most innovative responses to the Covid-19 crisis.
4 minute readWhoever scores highest at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam on Saturday, Europe has already won.
4 minute readWhen users are at the centre of cities’ design, it also means translating big abstract concepts into practical terms.
7 minute readCity leaders from around 70 cities, meeting today, one day ahead of the EU Social Summit, have called for a new pact between all levels of government to foster a just, sustainable and inclusive recovery.
4 minute readRotterdam has a high youth population, but also high rates of poverty among its youngest inhabitants. What is the city doing to lift its young people out of poverty?
3 minute readEight European cities are working towards a common vision: give Europeans one card, or app, to access services in all European cities.
8 minute readHundreds of musicians from all over Europe play at a distance, but still together, to celebrate Early Music Day this Sunday.
1 minute readGovernments around the globe want to spend more money to help countries and cities to cope with the impacts of climate change. At the Climate Adaptation Summit, Rotterdam’s mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb presented a special programme for cities.
2 minute read44 cities, representing more than 51 million citizens, have jointly pledged €14.2 billion in social investment measures towards creating a fairer, more equal and inclusive Europe.
5 minute readThe COVID-19 crisis in our cities is proving to us that a fair and rapid digital transition is not only possible, but also more necessary than ever before.
3 minute readThe future of Europe depends on its cities, says Rotterdam's mayor.
2 minute readFind out what Eurocities members learned from this project on overcoming social challenges.
3 minute readOn 14-15 November, EUROCITIES working group on employment met in Ghent to learn and exchange views on Ghent’s strategic approach on tackling the skills mismatch and develop 21st century skills.
5 minute read50 cities have now adopted the Eurocities Declaration on citizens' engagement, demonstrating their commitment to create a Europe where people come first and citizens have a role in new forms of participatory democracy.
2 minute read