Networks and cities' news

Advancing Green and Smart Urban Development in Villena

From November 18th -21st, 2024, Villena, Spain, hosted a pivotal meeting of the EcoCore Network, which included the mid-term review of the project and a masterclass on Smart and Green Industrial Zones. The event, enriched by expert contributions, site visits, and workshops, provided a comprehensive platform for exploring strategies that align industrial development with sustainability and innovation.

Nature-Based Solutions, Equal Cities & Inclusive Design

The 5th Core Network Meeting of partners within the Green Place network took place in Nitra on October 15-16, 2024. The meeting focused on the topics of Nature-Based Solutions, Equal Cities & Inclusive Design. It was also aimed at feedback on the addressed area of ​​abandoned brownfield of former military barracks and drawing on relevant experiences with partners on this topic. The meeting continued with some partners on October 17 as  a site visit, showcasing successful examples of good practices in green infrastructure, work with minority groups, improving the health of residents, and the reconstruction of historic buildings.

Planning for Green: The Future of Wrocław’s Popowice Depot

The old Sachsenhausen and Bornheimer depots in Frankfurt am Main and  Czasoprzestrzeń at Biskupin in Wrocław are just a few of the places that gained a second life after the line buses and trams "moved out". Now, another depot in Wrocław has a chance to join them in a green ecological style - Popowice at 65 Legnicka Street, being a case study in the "GreenPlace, Let's do it together!" project.  This is all due to the "testing actions" taking into account the pro-ecological projects planned to be implemented within the complex.

Sportsgrounds of the Future: How Cities Are Rethinking Public Space for Adolescents' Wellbeing

Urban spaces often reveal the character of a city. They are places of movement, stillness, interaction, and solitude. For adolescents, however, public spaces are much more than physical environments—they are stages for self-expression, arenas for competition, and places for belonging. Yet, in many cities, these vital spaces remain underused or inaccessible to youth, either by design or neglect.

Adolescence is a transformative stage of life, marked by the search for identity, independence, and social belonging. Cities play a critical role in shaping these experiences; however, too often, urban environments fail to cater to the specific needs of young people. Thoughtfully designed public spaces can become vital arenas where adolescents gather, express themselves, and connect with their communities. However, these spaces must be more than functional; they must resonate with the energy and aspirations of youth.

The Re-Gen network of cities—spanning from Southern Europe to the Baltic—has embraced this challenge. Each city has embarked on a distinctive journey to test how sports and recreational activities can rejuvenate public spaces and empower adolescents. These cities are experimenting with bold solutions to make public spaces more inviting for their youngest residents, involving them in the process. The key? Sports and recreation, woven seamlessly into the urban fabric.

The Unconventional Architectural narrative of Albania

Author: Dr. Doriana Musaj, Tirana

The collapse of the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the downfall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, marked a significant turning point in the historical narrative of Albania. After declaring independence from the Ottoman Empire just prior to World I, Albania’s development as an independent nation-state was hijacked by a prolonged period of brutal repression under the 46-year reign of an oppressive Stalinist regime led by Albania’s dictator, Enver Hoxha.  For the last decade of Hoxha’s reign (1975-1985), Albanians lived in complete isolation from the global community. The communist ideology that governed the nation for half a century initially eradicated the concept of God, subsequently fractured familial bonds, and established an intricate system of internal surveillance, reshaping society into distinct categories of party members and perceived adversaries of the state. Under these circumstances, the period of transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic system has been – and remains —fraught with challenges. Despite the passage of over three decades, the nation has not engaged in the necessary work of reflecting on past events in order to understand how the dictatorship arose, its consequences and ongoing effects, or the significance of these things to contemporary social, cultural, political and economic life.  This reflection is urgent and imperative.  
This article begins reflecting on the past by exploring Albania’s dissonant architecture through a narrative perspective.  Dissonant architecture possesses the unique ability to uncover and examine historical narratives embodied in architectural styles and spaces.  As such, it serves as a conduit that connects past and present and so exposes the links between generations (links that oppressive regimes intentionally annihilate). In order to fully understand the various aspects of dissonant architecture in Albania, it's crucial at first to understand the historical context in which this architecture emerged. This article uses 2 architectural case studies to explicate this historical context and explore the stories of past and present that dissonant architecture tells: the Pyramid of Enver Hoxha, and the National Theater of Albania.

The Green Student Parliament discussed sustainability in Veszprém

As part of the BiodiverCity project, the Green Student Parliament gathered in Veszprém's City Hall on 26 November 2024 to engage in discussions on environmental and social sustainability. This unique biennial forum, which has been running for 16 years, serves as a platform for young people in Hungary to voice their concerns and propose solutions for pressing sustainability issues.