Sustainable Urbanization
Small Urban Initiatives: Can Local Action Change Cities?
Small urban initiatives can improve public spaces, bring residents together and sometimes influence municipal decisions. Drawing on examples from Belgrade, Banja Luka, Ljubljana, Mexico City and Santiago, this article examines what helps local action produce lasting urban change.
Read MoreSmall Urban Initiatives: Can Local Action Change Cities?Urban Regeneration in the Balkans: Who Pays, Who Benefits?
Urban regeneration in the Balkans is reshaping cities through municipal funding, European grants and private investment. Four projects in Sofia, Thessaloniki, Belgrade, and Athens show how urban value is created, who benefits, and who bears the long-term costs.
Read MoreUrban Regeneration in the Balkans: Who Pays, Who Benefits?European Green Cities: Five Urban Lessons Worth Learning
Europe’s 2028 green city winners and finalists offer practical insights into sustainable urban development, from acoustic planning and water management to industrial cooperation and cleaner heating. Five cities show how environmental policies are implemented, what results have been achieved and which challenges remain.
Read MoreEuropean Green Cities: Five Urban Lessons Worth LearningParis Housing Policy: Can the City Unlock the Homes It Already Has
Paris is tackling its housing crisis not only by building more homes, but by changing how the existing housing stock is used. From vacancy taxes and tourist-rental restrictions to office conversions and public acquisitions, its experiment asks how far a city can regulate housing use without undermining the private rental market.
Read MoreParis Housing Policy: Can the City Unlock the Homes It Already HasHappy City Index 2026: What Does It Really Measure?
The Happy City Index 2026 ranks 250 cities using 64 indicators, but does it actually measure happiness? New Polis examines the methodology and compares the ranking with residents’ own assessments of urban life, revealing where the two perspectives align and where they diverge.
Read MoreHappy City Index 2026: What Does It Really Measure?Beyond Iconic Architecture: Dimitrije Milić on Designing with Consequence
In conversation with MVRDV architect Dimitrije Milić, we explore what changes when carbon, density, ecology, and uncertainty are treated not as themes around architecture, but as material within the design process.
Read MoreBeyond Iconic Architecture: Dimitrije Milić on Designing with ConsequenceUrban Light Pollution: How Cities Can Balance Safety, Nature and the Night Sky
Artificial light at night supports urban safety and mobility, yet excessive and poorly designed lighting affects ecosystems, sleep, energy use and the visibility of the night sky. This article examines the pace of light pollution, its consequences in Europe, and three possible approaches to designing safer and more sustainable urban lighting.
Read MoreUrban Light Pollution: How Cities Can Balance Safety, Nature and the Night SkyFrom Granada to Every European City: iQuantum, Built to Test and Scale Urban Innovation Across Europe
Granada is positioning artificial intelligence as a key tool for urban innovation, with iQuantum providing a real-world environment to test, demonstrate and scale AI solutions for cities. In this partner interview, Vito Episcopo, Deputy Mayor of Granada, discusses the city’s AI strategy, its innovation ecosystem, and opportunities for collaboration between European cities.
Read MoreFrom Granada to Every European City: iQuantum, Built to Test and Scale Urban Innovation Across EuropeLow River Levels and Urban Resilience: Europe’s Hidden Infrastructure Risk
Europe’s record-low river levels in the summer of 2026 disrupted far more than navigation, affecting power generation, transport, tourism and industrial supply chains. The events reveal why rivers should be viewed not only as natural landscapes but also as critical infrastructure essential to urban resilience.
Read MoreLow River Levels and Urban Resilience: Europe’s Hidden Infrastructure RiskCycling Infrastructure in the Western Balkans: Why Streets Must Work for People, Not Cars
Cycling is increasingly recognised as one of the most effective investments in sustainable urban mobility, yet cities across the Western Balkans continue to struggle with car dependency and limited cycling infrastructure. In this interview, one of Serbia’s leading cycling advocates discusses the progress being made, the political and cultural barriers that remain, and why cycling infrastructure in the Western Balkans is essential for healthier, more liveable and more resilient cities.
Read MoreCycling Infrastructure in the Western Balkans: Why Streets Must Work for People, Not Cars