Data centre to warm homes in Italian city – and other urban transformation stories to read this month

Italian utility company A2A has inaugurated a ground-breaking data centre in Brescia that captures waste heat from computer servers and channels it directly into the city's district heating network.

This innovative project, developed in partnership with French tech firm Qarnot, represents one of Italy's first applications of heat recovery from data centres using liquid cooling technology.

Located at the Lamarmora thermoelectric power plant, the facility employs an advanced liquid cooling system that recovers waste heat up to 65°C from servers.

Once fully operational, the project will be able to heat more than 1,350 apartments while preventing approximately 3,500 tons of CO2 emissions annually, Reuters reports.

"The rapid spread of data centres and the growing electrification of consumption require major investments in power grids. But data centres also offer a remarkable opportunity for cities with district heating networks," said A2A CEO Renato Mazzoncini during the inauguration.

The initiative addresses the mounting environmental challenge of energy-intensive digital infrastructure while demonstrating urban transformation potential.

While some European cities are struggling with the impacts of overtourism, towns and cities in eastern Germany are actively trying to counter population decline.

Cities like Guben on the Polish border have launched "trial living" schemes, providing up to four weeks of free housing to encourage permanent relocation.

Anika Franze, who manages Guben's programme after moving from Berlin, highlights the stark contrast: affordable 100-square-metre apartments cost less than a single room in the capital's crowded housing market, she told DW.

Despite political tensions, the programme shows promise. In its second year, the scheme has attracted 40 applicants from across Germany and internationally, including Belgium, Algeria, Egypt and Brazil. Successful applicants receive newly renovated apartments for around $116 a month.

Cities in parts of the eastern US were baking under a "heat dome" in the last week of June, which hit Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Almost 10% of the country experienced nearly historic temperatures of 38°C.

Switzerland will invest $329.37 million to strengthen Geneva’s position as a centre for international diplomacy. The funding aims to support global institutions headquartered in the city grappling with financial challenges due to budget cuts and declining donations. Geneva hosts more than 40 international organizations, including the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

The Spanish government and grid operator Redeia have issued separate findings into the causes that led to the blackout across the Iberian Peninsula on 28 April. Spain’s officials blamed a miscalculated energy mix and lack of voltage control, while Redeia pointed to plant failures and a demand spike.

Morocco is ramping up investments in desalination plants, water transfer initiatives and new dam construction to address persistent drought and growing water needs in both agriculture and urban areas.

Viet Nam is advancing plans to create an international financial centre aimed at strengthening its presence in the global financial market and attracting international investment, Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang told parliament. A draft plan, seen by Reuters, outlines measures such as foreign exchange liberalization, banking reforms, tax incentives and labour policies.

The UK has committed $21.1 billion towards transport projects in cities outside London that have long suffered from underinvestment.

Cities around the world are using innovative mobility strategies to make the air cleaner for their residents. Low-emission zones, electric vehicles, delivery micro-hubs and cycling infrastructure are all driving clean air advances in cities. What's needed now is scale – greater private-public collaboration could help to implement more of these proven mobility options to drive clean air and sustainable growth.

Amazonia needs protection from deforestation and biodiversity loss, while meeting the needs of its over 50 million inhabitants. Contrary to popular belief, which depicts the region as a pristine, untouched wilderness, it has always been inhabited, and the rainforest is the result of deep and long-standing human influence. A new strategy is emerging to support Amazonian cities and their inhabitants, while promoting the conservation of their different ecosystems.

Discover how Chattanooga, once heavily congested, has become the United States' first National Park City: