Netherlands
Rotterdam
Recommended
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How Rotterdam is reinventing religious heritage for city life
In Rotterdam, religious heritage is being reimagined as spaces for culture, community and city life
7 minute read -
Rotterdam’s circular textile fibre recycling ecosystem
Rotterdam is building one of Europe's most ambitious circular textile ecosystems, connecting cities across West Netherlands to tackle the full lifecycle of textiles.
6 minute read -
It’s up to the neighbourhood: Hyperlocal democracy in Rotterdam
Rotterdam's district council model of democracy is diversifying representation and empowering neighbourhoods to shape their future.
6 minute read -
How free is movement in the EU?
The 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 read -
Clean waste collection in Gothenburg
Noiseless 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 read -
From car city to clean mobility heaven
Take 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.
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Can you dig it? An archive for an inclusive city
An archive alive! In Rotterdam, people are literally making history thanks to this innovative digital approach.
6 minute read -
Looking to the future with electric garbage trucks
Rotterdam wants to tackle climate change through a key instrument - public procurement. Just check out their latest green purchase.
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Up on the roof
Roof gardens make better air in the city and attract bees and butterflies – as well as human nature lovers.
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Purchasing power
How one city is turning disadvantaged unemployed citizens into a thriving, motivated workforce through social clauses in public procurement.
6 minute read
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EU investment plans advance nationally, but cities remain sidelined
A new Eurocities survey reveals cities are being side-lined in preparations for the next EU budget. City leaders presented the findings to Raffaele Fitto, European Commission Executive Vice-President, warning that excluding cities risks repeating past mistakes and undermining future investment.
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People of Eurocities: the value of a network
Laura Trujillo Parra, Rens Jonker, Imara Antonius and Jochem Cooiman have been selected as part of the People of Eurocities initiative, recognising members who have made a lasting contribution to the network.
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Europe is tested in its cities
Cities turn Europe’s challenges into solutions. At the Eurocities Annual Conference in Utrecht, they called for stronger backing to keep delivering for people.
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Cities keep climate action at the centre of Europe’s shifting priorities
Cities are responding to climate change by linking cleaner air, safer housing, affordable energy and public trust, showing how local action can protect people while strengthening resilience, competitiveness and cooperation across Europe.
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Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul, Oulu and Stockholm win Eurocities Awards 2026
This year’s winners showed exceptional dedication to driving lasting urban improvements, strengthening local democracy and building fairer, greener and more resilient cities for everyone.
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How European cities are making AI work for people
As AI becomes part of everyday urban life, cities are asking not just what the technology can do, but how it can improve people’s lives. From data spaces to digital skills, local governments are building the trust, tools and safeguards needed to make AI work for everyone.
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Rotterdam’s vertical expansion to save time and space
Rotterdam is turning unused rooftops into new space for affordable housing, sustainability and urban growth. Through its Topping Up project, the city is showing how vertical expansion can help cities densify without spreading out.
3 minute read -
From data spaces to digital twins: how cities are building climate-resilient futures
How are cities using new technologies such as AI, data platforms and digital twins to strengthen climate resilience? At the Living-in.EU Digital Assembly in Sofia, city leaders, EU policymakers and digital experts discussed how data-driven tools are shaping innovative urban strategies.
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From crisis to action: why Europe’s cities are shaping the EU Anti-Poverty Agenda
As inequality rises, housing pressures grow and successive crises leave lasting effects, European cities are sending a clear message: tackling poverty requires action where it is most visible. Local leaders met European Commissioner, Roxana Mînzatu, to underline the need for strong cooperation between the cities and the EU.
8 minute read -
Investing in Europe starts with cities: What new EU research reveals
As EU budget negotiations continue, Eurocities is presenting evidence to show why cities must have a stronger role in EU funding. In this article, we share ESPON URDICO research demonstrating that Cohesion Policy works best when cities are full partners.
7 minute read -
100+ initiatives, 60 cities, one commitment: low-carbon and inclusive culture in action
A new Eurocities catalogue showcases 100+ city initiatives putting the Lille Call to Action into practice, demonstrating how culture can drive low-carbon transformation and inclusion, and inviting more cities to join the growing group of 60 signatories.
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European cities turn solidarity into action
Through humanitarian funding, ethical procurement, civic mobilisation, and community cohesion measures, cities are finding ways to help protect rights and support aid delivery.
4 minute read -
A call for urgent action to tackle noise pollution in European cities
The EU must support cities with binding noise reduction targets, funding, and improved data to help tackle the growing impact of noise on health, the economy and nature.
5 minute read -
Cities step up to the challenge of climate democracy
At the Nets4Dem Climate Democracy Lab in Grenoble, hosted by Eurocities and Grenoble Alpes Metropole, cities tested new ways to give residents a direct say in their climate action policies.
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Empowering cities to build a more democratic Europe
As the European Commission marks its first 100 days, city leaders are calling for an EU partnership to deliver strong policies that uphold Europe’s democratic values and make a lasting difference to people's lives.
5 minute read -
Digital and green solutions for all
Espoo, Rotterdam, Turin, Madrid and Lodz present their initiatives to ensure the digital transformation and the green transition leave nobody behind.
4 minute read -
Cities drive the future of digital democracy
Organised by Eurocities, the first-ever Nets4Dem Democracy Lab in Barcelona brought together cities across Europe. Their goal: to find new digital solutions to the complex democratic challenges they are facing.
7 minute read -
Urban pioneers: Rotterdam’s Local Democracy Cheerleader
Lot 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.
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European cities place people at the heart of digitalisation
On 17-19 April, Rotterdam brought together the members of the Eurocities Digital Forum, putting digital inclusion at the top of the European agenda.
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“We need a human-centred approach to technology”
For 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.
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Eurocities Awards 2024: Talent, sustainable food and mobilising voters
This 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.
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“Social and digital transformation must go hand in hand”
There 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.
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Cities building bridges for digital inclusion
In 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.
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How foreign registered vehicles get away with it
Final negotiations tomorrow on the Cross-Border Enforcement Directive. Will foreign vehicles still get away with violating Urban Vehicle Access Regulations?
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Reality vs fabrication: who is behind the information we consume
In 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 read -
Rotterdam, London and Ghent finalists of the 2023 UserCentriCities Award
UserCentriCities 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 read -
Teaming up for climate neutrality
Knowledge 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 read -
How does your city use and manage your digital data?
Over 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 read -
Nine cities set standards for the transparent use of Artificial Intelligence
A 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 read -
New EU Air Quality Directive proposed
The European Commission has published a proposal for an updated Air Quality Directive. There are a lot of improvements, but is it really future-fit?
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Cybersecurity is a key topic for Europe’s Digital Decade
From 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 read -
Cities need more voice on digital transformation
At 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 read -
Public services for the people, by the people
Between 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 read -
Circular roads
Can 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 read -
Mobility data matters
Mobility 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 read -
Are we fit for 55 yet?
The 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 read -
Innovative solidarity awarded $3 million
For 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 read -
Social ecosystems: a purposeful local economy
Rotterdam 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 read -
Cities fear falling behind on cyber security
October is European cyber security month, an issue that is becoming more important for cities; that’s why they want to join forces.
5 minute read -
Mayors for the win
Rotterdam and other Eurocities members have been awarded World Mayor Prizes to recognise the positive work for their citizens.
4 minute read -
A Mayors Alliance for the European Green Deal
The 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 read -
FitFor55: Mayors Alliance signals historic opportunity for people and planet
A 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 read -
No recovery without cities
Cities 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.
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Eight European ‘Champion Cities’ selected
Eight 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 read -
Europe, douze points
Whoever scores highest at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam on Saturday, Europe has already won.
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Designing with people, for people, as people
When users are at the centre of cities’ design, it also means translating big abstract concepts into practical terms.
7 minute read -
Cities call for new EU pact for just and sustainable recovery
City 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 read -
“Don’t wait until the end of the crisis, act now”
Rotterdam 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 read -
Europe, all in one
Eight European cities are working towards a common vision: give Europeans one card, or app, to access services in all European cities.
8 minute read -
Early music, hope for the future
Hundreds of musicians from all over Europe play at a distance, but still together, to celebrate Early Music Day this Sunday.
1 minute read -
“We have to adjust our way of living”
Governments 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 read -
Cities pledge over €14 billion to fight poverty and social exclusion
44 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 read -
Urban skills mismatch and development of 21st century skills
On 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 read -
50 cities sign Declaration on citizens engagement
50 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 -
Exit from Covid-19 crisis must be digital, local and work for all
The 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 read -
Rotterdam’s Aboutaleb focusses on lesson for Europe at Cities Forum 2020
The future of Europe depends on its cities, says Rotterdam's mayor.
2 minute read -
Seven learning points from the project ‘Accelerating Change for Social Inclusion’
Find out what Eurocities members learned from this project on overcoming social challenges.
3 minute read
