City Comparisons

Visualising urban challenges across Europe

Which European cities provide the most affordable daycare for children? Where are young people moving, and which cities, on the contrary, are aging? Where is it most difficult for people to pay their housing bills and heat their flats?

Our data visualizations designed by the Tagesspiegel Innovation Lab show how European cities are dealing with the most pressing urban challenges of our time. Explore the interactive graphics and local insights from reporters all over Europe in the articles below.


Platform tourism on rise across Europe

Has tourism really changed after the pandemic or does it just go back to the way it was? The latest Eurostat data shows a drastic increase in bookings on online platforms, much more than we haven’t seen in the last five years. The popularity of short-term rentals seems to have increased in many European cities. However, in some cities we can already see the impact of the regulation of online platforms like Airbnb and Booking. Interactive maps and charts show the detailed data for all regions in Europe and all major cities.



Analysing drug consumption through wastewater data

The corona pandemic is over, and the consumption of cocaine is skyrocketing. This conclusion is drawn from wastewater analysis data, which estimates illicit drug consumption in European cities. The study conducted by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) is the largest of its kind. Which drugs are trending the most across 94 European cities?


Construction business in crisis

Europe’s residential construction business is in a major slump. The reason for this is surging construction prices and high interest rates. In many European Cities it means that building new flats is becoming increasingly difficult. Our comparison of the data on construction costs and building permits reveals where the building sector is hit the most.


The unequal access to childcare in European capitals

In which cities do parents pay the most for kindergartens? And how many places are available for small children? We have mapped the availability of kindergartens and different regulations concerning childcare across seven European capitals. The result is: the access to daycare varies immensely.


Ageing cities: where the young are missing

Europe is not getting any younger. But why does Copenhagen have the largest share of people under 35? And what challenges has the exodus of young skilled people brought to Eastern European regions? We have analyzed the populations of young and elderly people to determine which cities are getting younger and which are ageing.


The double-crisis of energy and housing costs

Even before the Russian invasion, many people were already paying too much of their income for housing. Our analysis shows which countries are most endangered by energy poverty, using data on housing overburden rates and the inability to keep houses warm.


Shrinking countryside, booming cities

Nearly 75 percent of Europeans live in urban areas, a number expected to reach nearly 85 percent by 2050. In a global comparison, cities in Europe are still growing only slowly. Nevertheless, growing cities are bringing many challenges, particularly regarding housing and traffic. Where is the population in Europe still growing, and where will it decline?

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