This blog post comes from the original. By Vangelis Marinakis, Assistant Professor of the National Technical University of Athens Athens is on the frontline of climate change. With summer temperatures frequently soaring to dangerous levels, prolonged heatwaves and nights offering little relief, the city is experiencing first-hand the harsh realities of urban heat stress. Concrete surfaces trap heat, amplifying discomfort and health risks for residents. In this context, urban cooling is not a luxury; it is a matter of public health, quality of life and resilience. A City in Transition Over the [...]

A major modernisation of street lighting in the Baltic city will cut energy consumption and CO₂ emissions – and costs for citizens Cities across Europe with ambitious climate goals are looking to save emissions across many domains in a cost-effective way and use smart technology to maximise their impact. Through a major project to upgrade streetlights and in public buildings, the Mission City of Liepāja in Latvia is combining all these elements to produce significant gains for citizens.  In one part of the modernisation programme, over 13,000 outdated lighting fixtures have been replaced in 27 educational institutions across the [...]

Mountains of waste from ‘fast fashion’ have made it a byword for unsustainability – so how are manufacturers adapting to the need to reduce, reuse and recycle when it comes to textiles? Maria Giorda, a city advisor for NetZeroCities, outlines some of the innovative plans of a leading European textile district.   Prato in the Italian region of Tuscany is no stranger to the demands of the textile industry – its manufacturing heritage stretches back to the Middle Ages. Crucially, however, the city’s experience and tradition include not only manufacturing, but innovation and the circular economy.  From [...]