TheMayor.EU– The European Portal for Cities and Citizens brings local governments, citizens and EU institutions closer together by sharing best practices in urban sustainability and smart growth, illustrating innovative solutions for the community problems of our times.
- THE MAKING OF A SMARTER CITY
TheMayor.EU –
Why are you choosing to be an H22 partner?
Our work gives us a unique insight into the efforts, trials and tribulations of European cities to achieve sustainability. Helsingborg has gotten our attention early on as one of these cities where the innovative approach to life has permeated all sectors of its society. It is thus an inspiration that we want to keep an eye on and share its examples with our audience.
In what way will your involvement contribute to the development of Helsingborg and other cities?
Being The European Portal for Cities and Citizens is a mission that we take seriously. We believe that European cities hold the key to the urban lifestyles of the future. Our task, at TheMayor.EU, is to help citizens get informed about the exciting developments happening on this continent. H22 is a cauldron of good ideas and practices, which we intend to bring to a better prominence and relate to our audience in a captivating manner.
What does a smarter city mean to you?
A city that doesn’t see ‘smart’-ness as applying solely to the technological domain. A city, which has a solid two-way communication with its residents and has provided possibilities for comfortable life and healthy personal development for anyone who calls it home.
When building the cities of tomorrow, what new forms of cooperation do you think we need?
We are firm believers in the multi-lateral way of solving the challenges of today. European cooperation needs to be boosted horizontally along its local governments’ dimension. It has been woefully unexploited until now. European cooperation needs to be led by its cities and regions using the variety of formats available to policy makers, NGOs and citizens.
When you imagine the city of the future, what do you picture as the most exciting changes?
It would be a city which offers sustainable and high quality of life for its residents but during this transition it has also retained its particular identity. Variety is the spice of life and it can serve as a bottomless source of inspiration. The European way of blurring the boundaries between city and countryside is something that we are hopeful will serve as the direction for the future.
In what way do you think H22 can make a difference in these times in which we are living following COVID-19?
We, at TheMayor.EU, are optimists that the pandemic is finally on the wane, and it is time to stand up, brush down and take stock of what we’ve learned. If anything, the rolling series of lockdowns and restriction taught us about the importance of public space, outdoors, clean air, digitalization and social interactions. As a Nordic city, Helsingborg and its residents can show the rest of Europe and the world a lot about fostering more active and environmentally friendly lifestyles and how to make them appealing to the wider public.
BOYAN TOMOV
Founder of TheMayor.EU and Chairman of Euro Advance Association
Read more at TheMayor.EU
Contact persons:
Main contact person, organisational matters:
Aseniya Dimitrova, Project Manager – a.dimitrova@themayor.eu
Press info:
Vincent Iolov, Editor – v.iolov@themayor.eu