Agenda

Dutch-led renewable energy venture sets standard
3/8/2010 12:00:00 AM
Dutch authorities were initially sceptical about funding the Minewater project, but with strong local support this unusual renewable energy initiative succeeded in securing EU regional money and went on to become a blueprint for similar models elsewhere in Europe.

German Town Looking for Pothole Sponsors
3/5/2010 12:00:00 AM
They cause accidents and they blight the streets -- extreme winter weather has resulted in a rash of potholes across Europe. With a shortage of cash to fix them, one German town has come up with a unique solution: selling sponsorships, complete with a plaque. The snow has finally melted in most of Europe. But what it has left behind is not entirely to the liking of most. In Berlin, for example, the vanished drifts have revealed mountains of charred waste from fireworks still left over from New Year's. Weeks worth of newly thawed out dog dirt has likewise made walks in the city a chore.

Prague outranks Paris and Stockholm among EU's richest regions
3/4/2010 12:00:00 AM
Prague outranked Paris, Stockholm and Vienna in a list of the EU's richest regions published on Thursday (18 February) by Eurostat, the bloc's statistics office. The chart is however based on 2007 data, at the height of an economic boom in the central European state. Prague ranked fifth among Europe's 271 regions in terms of gross domestic product per inhabitant, up from the 12th place last year. It is the only region from the new member states to feature in the upper ranks of EU's richest areas.

Spanish unemployment up again
3/3/2010 12:00:00 AM
Spain's job centres got busier in February. The number of people registered as jobless increased by more than 82,000, the seventh consecutive monthly rise. The total is now just over 4.1 million. The Madrid government pointed out the rise was significantly less than the same month last year, when the economic crisis was at its worst.

Europe must not shirk its social responsibilities
3/2/2010 12:00:00 AM
"The CoR calls for additional resources to enable the regions and municipalities to address social exclusion". Facing the social consequences of the economic crisis in their regions and cities, the members of the CoR's ECOS commission yesterday launched a debate on what can be done by the EU, Member States and local and regional authorities to combat insecurity. Using its treaty-given right of initiative, the Committee of the Regions is therefore placing discussion of the social consequences of the economic crisis on the European Union's agenda.

Urban Affairs Association 40th Annual Meeting, Honolulu (Hawaï), 10-13 March 2010
3/10/2010 12:00:00 AM
For its 40th meeting, the Urban Affairs Association is traveling to Honolulu, Hawaii, one of the major gateways to Asia and the Pacific. Our local host is the University of Hawaii-Manoa. The conference theme- sustaining cities in a time of globalization- is particularly relevant to the city of Honolulu (a word that means the place of shelter, of protection). As an international hub of global commerce, tourism, and immigration, Honolulu faces significant social, economic and environmental challenges. The city is constantly seeking a balance between livability, sustainability and social wellbeing. This location prompts us to consider how and why cities can be made more desirable places to live, and what role they play in sustaining social, political and economic relations. We hope that the theme and the location will be of particular interest to international colleagues and those interested in cross-national comparisons.

2010 National Metropolis Conference - Montreal, 18-21 March 2010
3/18/2010 12:00:00 AM
The 2010 National Metropolis Conference will focus on immigration and inclusion with special attention to economic development and the meeting of cultures.

ECPR Joint Session of Workshops 2010 - Münster, 22-27 March 2010
3/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
Between 22 and 27 March 2010, the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) will organise its annual Joint Session of Workshops. The main aim of the workshops is the participation and equality of endeavour between advanced students, younger and newer members of the profession and well-established professors. This year's workshops include discussions on partnership working, electoral change and network governance.  

The EU Sustainable Energy Week - Brussels, 22-26 March 2010
3/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
The EU Sustainable Energy Week is the reference event for sustainable issues in Europe. It forms part of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign which is an initiative of the European Commission launched in 2005.

Urban Mobility in National Capitals - Brasilia, 22-25 March 2010
3/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
Brasilia's Department of Urban Development and the Environment is assembling national capitals for the seventh gathering of the Capitals Alliance. The meeting will take place in Brazil's capital during the week of March 22-25, 2010 to coincide with Brasilia's 50th anniversary celebration.