Shaping Intelligent Cities

As cities continue to grow at unprecedented rates, the challenges they face are becoming more complex. Climate change, natural hazards, and social vulnerabilities increasingly intersect with urban development, placing pressure on infrastructure, public services, and long-term sustainability. In this context, urban planning can no longer focus solely on growth—it must actively integrate risk and resilience.

The European Union’s Agenda for Cities clearly sets out the new direction of EU policy on urban development. At a time when more than 75% of European citizens live in cities, the EU recognises that local authorities are at the forefront of today’s major challenges: climate change, the energy transition, social cohesion, digital transformation and infrastructure resilience.

The European Sustainable Development Report(ESDR) 2025 provides an up-to-date review on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda in Europe. This year's edition covers 41 European countries: 27 EU Member States, 9 candidate countries, 4 European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and the United Kingdom.  

Cities stand at the heart of the climate crisis, simultaneously vulnerable to its impacts and significant contributors to global emissions. From devastating floods and relentless heatwaves to rising inequality exacerbated by climate stress, urban areas face challenges that demand urgent, transformative action. 

In the pursuit of a more sustainable future, cities and communities play a pivotal role. The recently released the Sustainable Development Report 2024 provides a comprehensive assessment of global progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering valuable insights and benchmarks for sustainable development efforts worldwide.

We live in an era where the pursuit of happiness has become a global endeavor, with nations striving to enhance the well-being of their citizens. At the forefront of this movement is the World Happiness Report, a comprehensive study that delves into the factors influencing happiness across different stages of life. In the 2024 edition of the report, researchers have turned their focus to understanding the happiness of people at various points in their journey through life.

In the 2023 Report on the Quality of Life in European Cities, spanning 83 cities and over 70,000 interviews, key aspects of urban living are dissected. The findings offer a nuanced perspective on safety, job opportunities, housing affordability, and more.

Agios Dimitrios, under the guidance of PlanBe, becomes only the second Municipality in Greece to publish a VLR, marking a pioneering milestone in the country's journey towards sustainability.

The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) heralds a crucial chapter in the global battle against climate change. COP28 places a spotlight on the urgent need for cities to play a leading role in combating climate change.

This year's IMD Smart City Index provides a unique perspective on the quality of life in cities, drawing on meticulously sourced data from the Global Data Lab's Human Development Index (HDI) at the city level, rather than relying on country-level statistics. The index evaluates key metrics such as life expectancy, expected years of schooling, mean years of education completed, and per capita income to gauge the well-being of city residents.