Europe chooses the most accessible city
Castello de la Plana, Chania, Evreux, Skelleftea, Tartu, Warsaw - these six cities reached the final of the Access City Award 2020. The nominees representing Spain, Greece, France, Sweden, Estonia and Poland, respectively, qualify for the title of the most accessible locality in Europe.
The Access City Award is given to cities for their long-term efforts to create an accessible environment and the development of various initiatives in the field of transport, services, technologies and infrastructure aimed at improving the quality of life for elderly residents and people with disabilities. European cities with a population of more than 50 thousand people can participate in the competition. The winning cities, in addition to the honorary title, get the opportunity to present their projects and share experiences with other countries.
By 2020, the number of people with disabilities in the EU countries will be 120 million.
The Access City Awards will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. During this time, Avila (Spain), Salzburg (Austria), Berlin (Germany), Milan (Italy), Chester (UK), Lyon (France) and others were named among the winners. In 2019, the title of the most accessible was awarded to the city of Breda in the Netherlands by experts.
At the end of October, the European Commission published the 2020 shortlist. Winners in 1st, 2nd and 3rd places will be announced on November 29 in Brussels at a conference dedicated to European Day of Persons with Disabilities.