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Mental health issues like anxiety, depression and other mood disturbances have always been common. However, during the pandemic, people’s mental health has significantly worsened. We’ve lost our freedom to socialize, there was a period in our life where we couldn’t meet our friends and that has taken a toll on our psychological well-being. But how bad is the situation? By Viktória Šiketová (Edited by Marta Silvia Viganò) The 2021 European Week for Cities and Regions featured the event Recover...

Have you missed a session or would you like to watch it again? All recordings of the #EURegionsWeek 2021 sessions are now available! Browse the past edition programme or visit our Vimeo channel.

Small towns and villages suffer from a widespread disease, and a keen-eyed observer will not need these statistics to recognize this. Lower rates of educational offers, fewer job opportunities, more difficulties accessing public and private services, and even accessing leisure and cultural activity: small cities often mean great decline. By Clémence Maquet (Edited by Dinah Ahl) For many small towns, the increase in the average age and the urban exodus of their population over the years have had...

Under the heading " Together for recovery", the 19th edition of the #EURegionsWeek hit yet another record of participants: 17.600! With its 591 partners, 30 stands, 1261 speakers and moderators, 142 video testimonials, this year programme highlighted how cohesion policy and funding has helped communities navigate the COVID-19 crisis in countless ways – and how these are crucial for promoting long-term growth once the pandemic eases. More than 4000 messages - exchanged on the user-friendly...

The pro/anti-migration debate has been taking up a generous amount of space in the EU’s media and political sphere, especially in the last ten years. But what effect is migration having on Europe? New data may shed light on this question. By Jagoda Sadowska and Sarah Nassar Badwy (Edited by Vilde Skorpen Wikan) Migration is a topic of fierce debate in Europe. And many member states are not seeing eye to eye on the value of opening their borders to refugees and immigrants. For example, anti...

Aging, depopulation and loneliness are realities witnessed in more and more regions in countries across Europe. But now regional, national and EU-initiatives are seeking to stop and reverse this situation. By Xoel Rodríguez (Edited by Vilde Skorpen Wikan) European regions must focus on the impact that demographic change is having on our countries. Various demographic challenges and possible solutions were presented by the Galicia Europe Foundation and the Department of Social Policy of the...

There sat four people. It was the second workshop, Cohesion Policy 2021-2021 and NextGenerationEU: making it real in Europe’s regions and cities. By Onur Anamur (Edited by Dino Subašić) Two were members of the Committee of the Regions, the EU’s advisory committee on regional policy comprised of municipal and regional politicians: a Frisian alderman, Rob Jonkman, and Isabelle Boudineau, vice-president of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. There sat also two eurocrats: high-ranking communications officer...

More than half of the human population today lives in urban areas even though cities produce 60 % of greenhouse gas emissions. To make cities more sustainable and inclusive, urbanists have developed smart cities strategies. At an event of the European Week of the Regions and the Cities, four innovators showed how they are overcoming challenges, like the lack of financing and citizens’ support, while implementing smart initiatives. By Valeria Pavlenko (Edited by Dinah Ahl) Every urban area has...

Tolerance, solidarity, equality. These are just part of the values we commonly associate with the pan-European idea – the personal identification with Europe in a political and cultural context. However, one region often misses out on this shared feeling of belonging – the Western Balkans. By Viktoria Hristova (Edited by Marta Silvia Viganò) The prospect of the Western Balkans’ integration within the European Union has been a subject of long debate. With a new 30-billion euro investment plan in...

"You need 3 m² of swimming water surface per city inhabitant," says Dirk van Wiele, head of the Sporting Infrastructure Administration at the Free University of Brussels (VUB). Currently, the city of Brussels managed to reach a total of 60 % of this Flemish rule requirement. There is a clear shortage of swimming water possibilities. By Geraldine Gomez Ruiz (Edited by Dino Subašić) This is why the VUB has taken it upon to renovate the pool as it adds up to 12 % of swimming water possibilities to...