How Green Was My City Trivia Quiz

Answer: Stockholm

Northern Europe is almost synonymous with high environmental standards, so it will not come as a surprise to see a number of Scandinavian cities nominated for the title of European Green Capital. With a population of over 800,000, the Swedish capital of Stockholm has been a leader in the sustainable management of the urban environment for at least three decades. The city has successfully proved that growth and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. In particular, Stockholm has committed itself to eliminating all fossil fuels by 2050: all buses and trains run on renewable fuels, and transport emissions have been significantly reduced. Among Stockholm's other noteworthy achievements, there are measures aimed at reducing noise pollution, innovative waste management, and one of the highest rates of green spaces per person in the world.

Fellow Scandinavian capitals Copenhagen and Oslo have also been awarded the title of European Green Capital. Copenhagen (2014) was singled out for being a good model of urban planning and design, as well as a transport pioneer, while Oslo (2019) was rewarded for its approach to the conservation of its natural environment, particularly its many waterways. Helsinki - rather surprisingly - has not yet been selected as a finalist.

Answer: Elbe

One of three German city-states, and Germany's second-largest city with a population of almost 2 million, Hamburg lies at the confluence of the Elbe River and two of its tributaries, the Alster and the Bille. A city of waterways, crossed by 2,500 bridges, Hamburg enjoys a very high quality of life, characterized by an abundance of green spaces. Its port, a natural, sheltered harbour located about 110 km (70 mi) from the river's mouth, can accommodate ocean-going vessels, and handles a growing number of containers every year. This would normally lead to uncontrolled expansion; however, the city has pursued a policy in which already-existing spaces (such as disused harbour basins) are repurposed. Hamburg has also managed to achieve impressive energy savings through the gradual cutting down of CO2 emissions. Hamburg's public transport system, conceived to make access easy to all citizens, also won high marks; the city's "green network" also allows people to walk or bike from the centre to the outskirts without coming into contact with traffic.

The Elbe rises in the mountains of the northern Czech Republic, and flows through Germany from east to west, emptying in the North Sea at Cuxhaven, north-west of Hamburg and south of the Jutland Peninsula. Unlike the Elbe, the Rhine and the Danube, the Meuse does not flow through Germany.

Answer: Basque

The de facto capital of Spain's Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz was the first city in southern Europe to be awarded the title of European Green Capital in 2012. Home to over 200,000 people, this city founded in the 6th century AD has been ranked for years among the top five Spanish cities in terms of quality of life - due to its high proportion of green spaces (the highest in Spain), its environment-friendly policies, and the rich, well-preserved biodiversity of its surroundings. In addition, widespread community gardens enable Vitoria-Gasteiz's population to learn about horticulture from close up. In a region often plagued with water scarcity, especially during the summer months, the city has set itself the goal of reducing water consumption to below 100 litres (26.4 gal) per person.

Basque is believed to be Europe's oldest language, predating the arrival of the Indo-Europeans. It is a language isolate, unrelated to any other world language (in spite of repeated attempts to prove otherwise). All the languages listed as incorrect answers belong to the Indo-European family, though none of them is spoken in Spain.

Answer: Brittany

Situated on the estuary of the Loire, France's longest river, Nantes is the capital of the Loire-Atlantique department and the Pays de la Loire region. In historical and cultural terms, however, the city has been part of the historic region of Brittany since the 9th century AD. Like many other European cities, in recent times Nantes has adopted a service economy due to deindustrialization - which has also coincided with dramatic improvements in its quality of life. In 2004, Time magazine called Nantes "the most liveable city in Europe", and the 2013 European Green City award was the culmination of over a decade spent striving to create a healthy and prosperous environment for its citizens. The city's ambitious transport policy, based on the reintroduction of tramways and the development of bicycle infrastructure, has resulted in a reduction of air pollution and greenhouse gases. Nantes can also boast over 100 public parks and gardens, including a magnificent botanic garden (Jardin des Plantes).

All the historic regions of France listed as wrong answers are located in the southern half of the country. Breton is a Celtic language of the Brittonic branch, like Welsh and Cornish.

Answer: Bristol

Home to almost 500,000 people, Bristol lies on the estuary of the Avon River, which then flows into the Severn estuary separating England from Wales. One of England's major ports since the Middle Ages, in the 19th century the city was associated with famed engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who designed the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Great Western Railway that connected Bristol with London. In 2008, Bristol was ranked as Great Britain's most sustainable city, with its thriving green economy that favours the creation of jobs in low-carbon industries. Urban expansion in the surrounding countryside is regulated by a policy known as the Avon Green Belt. The city has committed an impressive budget for transport improvements and energy efficiency, encouraging in particular the use of bicycles. Bristol (which was shortlisted in 2010 and 2014) is also home to a number of environmental charities, and provides various services for the recycling of household waste.

Of the cities listed as wrong answers, Plymouth and Gloucester are also in South West England, while Southampton is in the South East.

Answer: Slovenia

Located on the Sava River, Ljubliana is the capital and largest city of Slovenia, the small Central European nation that, in 1991, was the first to split from Yugoslavia and became an independent republic. Its most remarkable achievement in terms of environmental sustainability has been cutting down on the use of cars, which were the dominant means of transport in the city until the end of the 20th century: cycling networks have been developed and increased, and traffic along the city's main artery, Slovenska Street, has been modified. The territory of Ljubljana (which was also shortlisted in 2015) comprises a very high proportion of green areas, which since the early years of the 21st century have been augmented by the building of five new parks and the planting of over 2,000 trees. The city has also committed to drastically reducing waste, and has proved a very effective example in the management of natural disasters (especially flooding) in the Balkan Region.

Slovakia lies further to the north; its capital is Bratislava. Croatia (Zagreb) and Romania (Bucarest) are considered part of Southeast Europe.

Answer: coal mining

The recent story of Essen is one of transformation from an industrial hub - with all its attendant environmental challenges - to a "green city" that can set an example to others in similar situations. Located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and part of the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region (Germany's largest), Essen (which was also nominated for the award in 2016) has often been considered the "secret capital" of the highly industrialized Ruhr region (Ruhrgebiet). In the early 19th century, through the influential Krupp family, Essen became one of Germany's most important coal and steel centres; the Zollverein coal mine (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2001), among the largest of its kind in Europe, was in use until the end of 1986. Now Essen's economy hinges mainly on the financial and services sectors: the city's authorities have focused their efforts on providing a good quality of life to its citizens and the many workers who commute there every day from other parts of the region. The protection and enhancement of the city's natural environment and biodiversity are a top priority, as are air and water quality - two particularly sensitive issues in an industrialized, densely populated area.

The photo shows the Elisabeth-Krankenhaus, Essen's oldest hospital, established in the mid-19th century, during the city's industrial boom.

Answer: windmills

Located in the province of Gelderland, close to the German border, Nijmegen was founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC. Ever since its inception, the Waal River has been the city's focal point; a large project undertaken by the Dutch government in the first two decades of the 21st century to prevent flooding has resulted in the creation of an artificial city island that hosts an experiment in sustainable urbanism. Citizens have been actively involved in projects aimed at improving public spaces, such as quick garden makeovers in the city centre carried out by teams. Nijmegen (also a finalist in 2017) is connected to the nearby city of Arnhem by a fast cycle highway; the use of bicycles by both citizens and visitors is encouraged by the availability of e-bikes and secure underground parking. The city also aims at becoming energy neutral by 2045. Windpark Nijmegen-Betuwe, opened in 2016, houses four wind turbines that produce power for over 7,000 households; the installation of a fifth turbine is in the works.

There are about 1,000 windmills in the Netherlands today out of the over 10,000 that were in use in the mid-19th century. While windmills generate mechanical energy, wind turbines produce electricity.

Answer: Tagus

Home to over 500,000 people (almost 3 million in its metro area), Lisbon was one of three finalists in 2019 before being awarded the title of European Green Capital in 2020. In the past two decades, this historic city - one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations - has faced a number of challenges, especially after the worldwide economic crisis of 2008 that hit Portugal very hard. However, the focus on economic growth has not left environmental protection behind, and Lisbon has made great progress in improving its quality of life. Urban mobility has become a top priority, with special attention given to the development of bike-friendly infrastructure, and also by establishing a large network of charging points for electric vehicles. The city has also created a network of cycle paths and walkways to connect its green spaces - such as the huge Monsanto Forest Park, which occupies about 10% of the municipality - and make them more easily accessible to citizens. Lisbon's picturesque yellow trams, introduced in 1901, successfully navigate the city's steep hills and narrow streets due to their small size.

The Tagus River (Tejo in Portuguese) rises in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula, not far from Madrid, and then flows westward to the Atlantic coast. The Tiber, Rome's river is found in Italy, the Trent in England, and the Tarn in France.

Answer: Finland

Located about 100 km (62 mi) north-east of Helsinki, in the region of Päijät-Häme, Lahti has been around for a much shorter time than the other cities featured in this quiz: though first mentioned in documents of the mid-16th century, it only developed into a market town in the late 19th century. Its name means "bay" in Finnish, as the city lies on a bay at the southern end of Lake Vesijärvi. Dubbed "the Chicago of Finland" because of the many slaughterhouses that existed there in the past, Lahti has been a pioneer in environmental sustainability since the early 1990s - an active involvement that brought the city the 2021 title of European Green Capital, for which it had been previously shortlisted twice, in 2019 and 2020. To curb car dependency in the centre, the city has invested 100 million euros in developing new pedestrian areas and bicycle lanes, as well as underground parking spaces. Lahti's most significant achievement in terms of environmental protection, however, has been the Vesijärvi project, in which the residents and the public and private sector have joined forces since the late 1970s to restore the lake, badly polluted by sewage and industrial wastewater. Lahti has also committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2025.

The European Green Capital Award is open to European cities (including EU member candidates, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein) with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Smaller cities can compete for the European Green Leaf, launched in 2015.