Can the EBRD deliver effective sustainable infrastructure in the transport and municipal sectors?
February 1, 2024
This briefing makes recommendations aimed at contributing to the preparation of the EBRD’s new Sustainable Infrastructure Strategy.
Gender-related issues in the urban mobility sector in the Canton of Sarajevo
December 5, 2023
Sarajevo transport system is dominated by private motor vehicles and marred by dissatisfaction. Heavy traffic during rush hours, issues with reliability of public transport and environmental concerns persist. Many of these issues disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including women, who often have distinct travel patterns and needs.
Local budgets and the reconstruction of Ukraine
November 30, 2023
In the first part of the series ‘Ukrainian communities at the forefront of reconstruction efforts: Financial sources and their accessibility for municipalities’, we examine the problems of access to finance for reconstruction at the community level and explore the possibilities of financing the needs of municipalities through extra-budgetary funding, including international financial institutions.
EU’s massive loan for Split: showdown between tourist paradise and residents’ needs
November 29, 2023
This summer was hot in the Croatian city of Split. Adding to the rising temperatures and usual tourist buzz was a heated political debate over a EUR 150 million framework loan approved by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the biggest loan to date for Split.
Tbilisi Transport Policy and Reforms: Main Issues and Recommendations
August 22, 2023
In 2018, Tbilisi authorities set out to decrease the city’s car dependency, reduce traffic jams, improve air quality and develop better infrastructure for walking and cycling. But despite investment from the EBRD and ADB, there has been little improvement.
Tbilisi’s transport policy conundrums: between resolution and resistance
August 21, 2023
The efforts of Tbilisi City Hall, responsible for transport reform, are anything but commendable. Criticism is also apt for the international financial institutions that have invested significantly in Tbilisi’s transport planning overhaul, and that are therefore responsible for monitoring its progress and impact.
Seven years after joining the EBRD’s Green Cities programme, is Yerevan’s green future going up in flames?
June 2, 2023
In May 2023, a massive fire broke out at the Nubarashen landfill on the outskirts of Yerevan, enveloping the city in a cloud of toxic smoke generated by the burning waste. It took 10 days and 2,300 truckloads of soil to extinguish the flames. Coming seven years after Yerevan became a pioneer by joining the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)’s Green Cities initiative, this incident is a stark reminder of the urgent need to adopt a safer and more sustainable approach to waste management and urban planning.
EBRD funds channelled to Kremlin affiliates: Why the purchase of Tbilisi metro cars from a Russian company should not proceed as planned
March 13, 2023
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is providing funding to Tbilisi City Hall to purchase metro cars for the Georgian capital’s metro system from Russian company Metrowagonmash. But Metrowagonmash is not just any Russian company.
Is Samarkand ready to become a Green City?
December 26, 2022
This briefing reviews Samarkand’s existing urban development plans, the main environmental and social concerns of residents with a focus on public transport, and provides recommendations on including civil society in the GCAP planning.
Almaty’s Green City Action Plan: a plan for destructive creation?
December 8, 2022
The Kazakh city of Almaty joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)’s Green Cities initiative in 2019. How does the first Green City Action Plan in Central Asia reflect public participation?