Gothenburg, Milan and Edinburgh take top EUROCITIES awards

The cities of Gothenburg, Milan and Edinburgh have been recognised for their efforts in participation, cooperation and innovation. The three cities were selected by an independent jury and announced on the opening of EUROCITIES 2015, jointly held in Copenhagen and Malmo.

An independent jury, representing European institutions, academics, NGOs and the host cities, received 16 proposals which were then narrowed down to nine finalists–three in each category.

Gothenburg was awarded in the category of cooperation for its entrepreneurial programme targeting young people and existing entrepreneurs by offering courses, support and network in various languages.

“We have more than 160 languages spoken in Gothenburg,” said Anneli Hulthén, Mayor of Gothenburg. “If you have a small language like Swedish we need to take advantage of these other languages as these people have contacts that can help the growth of the city.”

In the category of innovation, Milan took first prize for its work in tackling the high level of private car ownership and improving local air quality. Made up of three phases, including the flagship Area C congestion zone, which has helped reduce traffic in the city centre by nearly 30 percent, Milan also operates a successful bike and car sharing scheme, with scooters soon to be added.

“It was not easy to implement this plan, even though it was clear in the minds of the people who conceived it, it was difficult to convey it to people as it demanded a change in their everyday habits,” said Marta Mancini, Chief Officer, International Relations, Milan City Council. “But we are very happy that this has happened and we can still improve on this.”

Edinburgh won in the category of participation for its project, Edinburgh in Bloom, which started in 2010 to make the city greener, cleaner and sustainable through community participation in horticulture and now includes 8,500 volunteers.

“One of the key successes of the programme has been the involvement of children,” said Frank Ross, Councillor, City of Edinburgh Council. “They love to plant and see the plants grow. It’s a long-term strategy–a bottom up approach–and people want to make their city better. If you give them the ownership they will deliver.”

Kent Andersson, Chairman of Malmo City Council and who led the jury, said: “Sharing experiences like these between cities is very important. You can never copy what others have done but examples like these can be a great inspiration for finding new solutions in cities. Innovation happens in cities, and these projects demonstrate how much can be achieved at local level.”

The EUROCITIES awards recognise outstanding achievement by EUROCITIES members in the delivery of local activities or practices which improve the quality of life for citizens, and are judged in the context of the theme of the annual conference. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Living cities–sustainable growth and quality of life’.