The REGIOSTARS Awards are a yearly competition, organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, in order to promote excellence and new approaches in EU-funded projects in the field of regional development. The event focuses on five areas that are crucial for the future of the EU regional policy.
The project in which the Croatian city of Koprivnica participated was recognised in the "Connected Europe" category.
The award-giving ceremony was held in the Czech city of Ostrava. This year, a total of 228 applications were received from all over the European Union, and 30 of them made it to the finals.
"Dynaxibility4CE" project, which was implemented from 2014 to 2020, was aimed at reducing emissions of harmful gases and increasing air quality in cities in Germany, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Poland.
City authorities in Budapest, Graz, Koprivnica, Krakow, Leipzig, Parma and Stuttgart have developed strategies to limit car transport and increase the use of non-polluting vehicles such as bicycles.
Koprivnica, a city with 28,660 inhabitants in the north of Croatia, was part of this cooperation. In 2015, it introduced a "sustainable urban plan for mobility" in accordance with the guidelines of the European Commission.
The city has improved traffic safety while simultaneously reducing noise and air pollution by promoting walking and cycling, and increasing the use of public transport and electric vehicles, the project description states.
Koprivnica, home to large food companies and the pharmaceutical industry, has major roads passing through the city, including the Mediterranean Corridor TEN-T.