This report relates to the Horizon 2020 project entitled ‘Making City’. The report was conducted by the Hanze University of Applied Sciences to the benefit of theMunicipality of Groningen and other consortium partners in the Making City project and addresses the legal impediments that may arise when creating and achieving a Positive Energy District (PED). In doing so, it specifically addresses the situation in the city of Groningen and the legal framework of the Netherlands.This report highlights legal developments of (upcoming) EU and mostly Dutch legislation related to a PED, such as the Collective Heat and Supply Act (Warmtewet) and the Environmental Act. Moreover, smart contracts used in the Block chain technology is discussed and a chapter on Intellectual Property legislation is included which becomes relevant when using new innovations and technologies. Furthermore, it identifies certain legal barriers that emerged in the establishment of the Groningen PED.
Urban ageing is an emerging domain that deals with the population of older people living in cities. The ageing of society is a positive yet challenging phenomenon, as population ageing and urbanisation are the culmination of successful human development. One could argue whether the city environment is an ideal place for people to grow old and live at an old age compared to rural areas. This viewpoint article explores and describes the challenges that are encountered when making cities age-friendly in Europe. Such challenges include the creation of inclusive neighbourhoods and the implementation of technology for ageing-in-place. Examples from projects in two age-friendly cities in The Netherlands (The Hague) and Poland (Cracow) are shown to illustrate the potential of making cities more tuned to the needs of older people and identify important challenges for the next couple of years. Overall, the global ageing of urban populations calls for more age-friendly approaches to be implemented in our cities. It is a challenge to prepare for these developments in such a way that both current and future generations of older people can benefit from age-friendly strategies. CC-BY Original article: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15112473 https://www.dehaagsehogeschool.nl/onderzoek/lectoraten/details/urban-ageing#over-het-lectoraat
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Using a broad international comparative perspective spanning multiple countries across South America, Europe and Africa, contributors explore resident-led self-builing for low- and middle-income groups in urban areas. Although social, economic and urban prosperity differs across these contexts, there exists a recurring, cross-continental tension between formal governance and self-regulation.