Winter urban heat islands are often seen as a seasonal advantage, making cities slightly warmer during cold months. However, growing evidence shows they can worsen air pollution, accelerate infrastructure damage, and create hidden public health risks. This article explores real-world case studies and explains why winter UHIs are becoming a critical issue for sustainable and smart cities.
Read MoreWhen Warmth Becomes a Trap: The Hidden Costs of Winter Urban Heat Islands
The extraordinary snowfalls of early 2026 once again exposed structural weaknesses in urban winter maintenance systems. Gender-sensitive snow clearance, first implemented in Swedish cities, demonstrates how rethinking snow removal priorities can improve safety, equity, and cost efficiency in climate-stressed cities.
Read MoreGender-Sensitive Snow Clearance: Why Winter Maintenance Is a Question of Urban Accessibility
This article examines how school composting projects can address organic waste challenges while enhancing soil health and promoting environmental literacy. Based on an EU-funded citizen science initiative in Serbia, it shows how schools can become living laboratories for sustainability. The project demonstrates how education, science, and circular practices can work together at the local level.
Read MoreFrom Waste to Wealth: School Composting Projects as a Path to Healthy Soil and Ecological Awareness
This article examines air pollution in Serbian cities with a focus on changes in pollutant composition, dominant emission sources, and associated health risks. Using examples from major urban centers, it highlights how particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ground-level ozone interact to create complex urban air pollution patterns. The paper also outlines policy-relevant pathways for restoring urban air quality through energy transition, sustainable transport, and integrated environmental monitoring.
Read MoreAir Pollution in Serbian Cities: Sources, Health Risks, and Ways to Improve Urban Air Quality
In this interview, Milica Raičković discusses how noise and air pollution affect public health and urban quality of life across Serbia and the Western Balkans. Drawing on insights from a major regional conference, she explains why systematic monitoring, interdisciplinary planning, and data-driven decision-making are essential for healthier cities.
Read MoreHow Noise and Air Pollution Shape Healthier Cities: Interview with Milica Raičković
Holiday celebrations are placing growing pressure on urban environments through increased waste, energy consumption, and air pollution. This article examines the environmental implications of festive traditions, ranging from Christmas trees to fireworks, and demonstrates how sustainable holiday celebrations in cities can be promoted through intelligent technologies, data-driven planning, and informed consumer choices.
Read MoreSustainable Holiday Celebrations in Cities: From Christmas Trees to Smart Urban Solutions
Hong Kong’s approach to pedestrian-friendly urban design showcases how dense cities can improve walkability through smart planning and people-centered infrastructure. In the article, we explore the city’s most effective strategies, from pedestrian zones to innovative crossing technologies, and examine what other cities can learn from this experience.
Read MorePedestrian-Friendly Urban Design: Experience Sharing from Hong Kong
This video interview with Dr. Oksana Zaporozhets explores how digitalization, everyday practices, and informal urban life shape contemporary cities. Drawing on her international research, she reflects on micro-urbanism, citizen-led digital infrastructures, and the human dimensions of belonging that influence more resilient and humane urban futures.
Read MoreEveryday Urbanism and the Human Side of Digital Cities: Interview with Dr. Oksana Zaporozhets
Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 in Barcelona gathered 27,000+ participants from 143 countries to explore AI-driven urban innovation, sustainable mobility, digital transformation, and people-centered city solutions. Discover key insights, global collaborations, award-winning smart city projects, and the vision shaping the future of sustainable urban development.
Read MoreSmart City Expo World Congress 2025: Cities Take the Lead in Shaping a Human-Centered Urban Future
This feature explores urban sustainability in North Macedonia, where technology, civic action, and innovation are transforming cities like Skopje and Kumanovo. From smart mobility and digital transparency to grassroots clean-up movements and green public spaces, these initiatives illustrate a growing culture of sustainable urban living. Despite challenges, local governments and citizens are shaping a vision of greener, smarter, and more resilient Macedonian cities.
Read MoreUrban Sustainability in North Macedonia: Green Cities and Smart Solutions