Catalonia plans "independence from rainwater" by 2040
It will be achieved through seawater desalination plants
The legislation is the first of its kind in the country with the aim of making housing affordable
Yesterday, 27 April, the Spanish parliament passed a housing law, which has been described as a “significant milestone” by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Its main point is that it sets a limit on rental price increases at 3% per year, regardless of inflation or location. The overall aim of the new legislation is to make housing accessible and predictable for large swaths of the population that cannot afford to buy a home.
Previously, Spanish landlords could increase rents according to inflation. However, galloping prices since last year have made the cost of living a burden threatening to put many people out on the street. A provisional 2% cap was placed by authorities to calm social fears and unrest, and that is in force for the current year. The new law, which sets the ceiling at 3%, however, makes the measure more permanent.
It also targets companies or individuals who rent out more than five properties, potentially requiring them to lower rents in certain areas where housing prices have risen too high in recent years. Local governments will determine those areas.
Such areas are named “tense housing markets” and to declare one as such, the law proscribes that average rents or mortgages are over 30% of the average household income or where they have gone up by at least three percentage points over the Consumer Price Index in the previous five years.
Tenants will also no longer have to pay real estate agencies the fees and expenses associated with signing new rental contracts, but rather landlords will.
One area not affected by the legislation, however, are the short-term rentals usually available to tourists, but also an increasing factor of contention and disruption on the housing market, as well.
The bill still must pass through Spain's senate, but it is expected to pass and take effect before regional elections in May.
The same goes for 5G coverage but that complete rate will be achieved already in 2025
Tusk’s administration failed to change the law, but it now promises to “change reality”
The country’s government cites security concerns behind the move
The same goes for 5G coverage but that complete rate will be achieved already in 2025
The tool builds upon the already available web version of the map
It marks the street spots that have recorded the highest number of incidents
Plus, you might have to book a spot in advance to view the famous attraction
This involves the creation of a special traffic control zone on streets leading to the UNESCO-protected Old Town
The German capital reps will head to COP16, in Cali (Colombia), with the aim of inviting other cities to join the cause
Plus, you might have to book a spot in advance to view the famous attraction
For many years, Molenbeek’s reputation was linked to terrorism, but now it wants to show the world that it has turned a new page
Passengers will be shuttled directly to and from the Port of Piraeus, skipping the lines at the airport
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital