Iberian Peninsula blackout – and other urban transformation stories to read this month

Investigations are still ongoing into a major blackout that affected much of Spain and Portugal on 28 April, including Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona and Seville.

Spain's investigation has so far revealed initial power generation failures in the provinces of Granada, Badajoz and Seville, Minister for Ecological Transition Sara Aagesen said on 14 May.

Granada's substation was 'ground zero', with a power failure causing a loss of 2.2 gigawatts of electricity, setting off a chain of grid disconnections. But the cause of the substations' failures is still unclear, according to reports.

The outage affected millions of people, disrupting transportation, hospitals, telecommunications, traffic lights and even the Madrid Open tennis tournament.

While early findings by energy providers ruled out a cyberattack, the incident underscored the persistent threat that cyberattacks can pose to critical energy infrastructure.

Global sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose by 29% in April compared to the same month last year, according to data from electric vehicle (EV) research firm Rho Motion, Euronews reports.

A total of 1.5 million electric vehicles were sold in April, which marks a 12% decrease from March 2025.

From January through April, global EV sales reached 5.6 million units, a 29% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

Christian Brand, emeritus professor in transport, energy and climate change at Oxford University, told Euronews: “EV adoption is accelerating – but politics, not technology, will decide who leads and who lags.

“The transition to electric vehicles is about reconfiguring entire value chains... Businesses must navigate a complex landscape of evolving regulations, supply chain challenges and shifting consumer expectations to remain competitive in this transforming market.”

Work has started on a fifth terminal at Singapore's Changi Airport, which is due to open in the mid-2030s and will have flights to more than 200 cities.

Meanwhile, Morocco has begun the tendering process to expand the capacity of Casablanca's airport by 20 million - as part of +a bid to double the country's overall airport capacity to 78 million ahead of the football World Cup in 2030.

Thousands of residents in Spain's Canary Islands took to the streets to protest against overtourism on 18 May, calling for authorities to limit visitor numbers to protect against rising housing costs, traffic congestion and overburdened services.

Severe flooding caused the evacuation of thousands of residents in the north of Argentina's Buenos Aires province. Rainfall of between 150mm and 250mm was reported by the National Meteorological Service between the cities of Zarate and Arrecifes.

India’s consumer goods sector grew 11% in value in the quarter to March, with rural areas outpacing urban growth for the fifth straight quarter, according to NielsenIQ. Rural markets' robust performance stands in stark contrast to urban areas, where higher living costs and slow wage growth have dampened demand.

Amazon’s self-driving start-up, Zoox, is set to boost production next year as it prepares for the commercial launch of its robotaxi fleet in the US, according to a report by the Financial Times. The tech giant plans to establish a new facility in California’s Bay Area, expanding beyond its current, smaller production site in Fremont, co-founder Jesse Levinson told the publication.

Adaptive reuse is a well-established practice that repurposes existing assets within the built environment for new uses, blending architectural heritage with modern needs, write the Forum's Anu Devi and Sarah Franklin. Faced with rising climate risks and growing resource constraints, cities are turning to adaptive reuse as a powerful strategy to reduce waste, cut emissions and enhance circular economy principles in the built environment. The World Economic Forum’s Model Policy on Adaptive Reuse, developed with global experts and cities, provides a framework of principles and best practices to accelerate progress and scale impact.

The mental health of urban populations is embedded in the rhythms, structures and spatial logic of their cities. Urban design can intensify psychological strain. With foresight and compassion, cities can shift from being quiet contributors to distress to becoming active protectors of the human spirit, writes urban policy practitioner, Luis Antonio Ramirez Garcia.

India has a huge opportunity to ensure urban infrastructure is built using climate-conscious strategies. Low-carbon construction, passive design, green buildings and sustainable planning can all help to decarbonize urban India. Read this article to find out how accelerating progress in climate-resilient urban infrastructure requires improved policy, collaboration and innovation.