Traditionally, a Smart City has been defined as a city that uses information and communication technologies to make both its critical infrastructure, its components and utilities more interactive, efficient, making citizens more aware of them. This part of the definition focuses on the wider information technologies. In a broader definition, a city can be considered as “smart” when its investment in human and social capital and in communications infrastructure actively promote sustainable economic development and a high quality of life, including the wise management of natural resources through participatory government [source: Azkuna I. (red.), Smart Cities Study: International study on the situation of ICT, innovation and Knowledge in cities, The Committee of Digital and Knowledge‐based Cities of UCLG, Bilbao, 2012] →

Panasonic company has built a sustainable town which can be used for introducing a number of complex ecological solutions for a house, a building or a town. The solutions combine energy technologies of the company with the environmental protection.

In this way Panasonic wants to promote energy-saving devices and to propose new solutions which blend the methods of generating and collecting the energy and controlling the energy use. →

Office areas are getting more and more comfortable. „Green” public buildings have become almost a standard today. In 2014 nearly 100 buildings were BREEM certified in terms of low energy consumption, while in early 2013 there were 150 of them. More and more often commercial centers and warehouses are getting energy efficient too.

Popularity of low energy use certificates is growing. Most of newly constructed office buildings in Warsaw and regional cities apply for a relevant certificate. →

On 16th May we are going to be thrilled with another edition of Long Night of Museums. On this occasion throughout Poland everyone is welcome to visit museums and other cultural institutions for free. The Ministry of Environment encourages to seize the opportunities for all visitors. →

Just about every major corporation today understands the importance of running a sustainable business. Generally speaking, this means one in which water gets conserved, energy and materials come increasingly from clean sources, and the social impact of the business is positive. The trouble is, until now there have been few ways to measure not only how brands are performing environmentally but also how the public perceives that performance. And how the public perceives a company’s greenness is becoming increasingly important. “More and more companies are looking at social purpose and corporate citizenship as part of their core offering,” says Jez Frampton, the Global CEO of Interbrand, an international brand consultancy. “Why? It helps drive purchases.” →

Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark. It has 315 thousand people and the number is growing. The Aarhus agglomeration has 1.2 million people. It is an important sea port and a railway hub. In the beginning of the 20^th century, the city became the most essential center for science and culture in Jutland (one of five Danish administrative regions  established on 1 January 2007 under the administrative reform. It encompasses the Northern Jutland and partly Viborg Amt as well as the Commune of Mariager which beforehand belonged to Århus Amt district). →

On 6 March 2015 the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development held an informative meeting on Urbact III. The Deputy Minister , Paweł Orłowski, addressed benefits of integrated urban development and presented activities that the Ministry takes in this respect. “Smart city” is not only about making the good use of resources and potentials within city borders but also in the scope of their functional areas. Integrated urban policy also includes the participation of local communities in city planning and governance.   →

The UK more and more often introduces solutions under the sustainable development framework. Successfully. However, the success does not come from top-down orders, but from the approach of the British themselves. →