The Transition to Sustainability


Book Description

The Transition to Sustainability 'details how all nations are repositioning their economies, their societies and their collective purpose to maintain all life on Earth, peacefully, healthily, equitably and with sufficient wealth to ensure that all are content in their survival.' From the Preface The governments of Europe are committed, in principle, to the implementation of sustainable development policies. What will this mean in practice? Most importantly, how compatible is such implementation with other commitments to economic growth and competitive markets? Can it be achieved, and what are the implications for all other policy areas? This book looks at the implications for government, business, taxation, planning, measures of change and local communities within the European Union. Country case studies include Germany, Norway, Greece, Portugal and the UK. The Editors conclude by giving an overview of progress so far, and offer pointers for the future. Policy makers, researchers and students across the range of social sciences will find this a valuable and groundbreaking book.




Sustainable Communities in Europe


Book Description

A presentation of detailed comparative research into the implementation in 11 European countries of Local Agenda 21 - the action plan for sustainable development at community level. Overviews of implementation in each country are accompanied by analysis of positive and negative changes, as well as a comparative analysis with high academic and policy relevance. Numerous practical examples are included of best cases and crucial barriers.




Local Government and Urban Governance in Europe


Book Description

This book discusses innovative responses and reforms developed in critical areas of urban governance in European countries. It examines the impact of European Union’s policies on the urban agenda and on local governance, and the impact of the transition to democracy in Central and in Southern Europe on local self-government systems. The book is divided into three parts: i) Crisis, Reform and Innovation in Local Government; ii) EU Policies, the Urban Agenda and Local Governance; and iii) Citizen Participation in Local Government. Providing an extensive and updated overview of key challenges in the governance of cities in Europe, the book will be of interest to students and researchers in the broader field of urban studies, and for policy-makers, especially those engaged in urban governance in European countries. /div













City Policies and the European Urban Agenda


Book Description

During the next few years, most European and World cities will be developing urban agendas. Materials published on the subject have been relatively scarce until now. This edited volume introduces a case study implementation of the European Urban Agenda (EUA) in a cross-border region in the Iberian Peninsula between Spain (Galicia) and Portugal. It explores the implementation of a number of urban core principles in two distinctive regions, serving as the basis for a comparative analysis on how such galvanizing principles work, contained in the EUA. The case presented in this edited volume is the first cross-border urban agenda to be drafted. It is a unique piece that contributes to our understanding of the complexities of implementing and translating a common set of urban European principles to variety of different local milieus. The chapters of the book closely examine the various strands of the implementation of urban policies through the lenses of land use, economic competition, innovation, culture and creative industries, energy, ecology, demographic challenges, housing, social inclusion and democratic governance. These chapters are written by international renowned scholars who were involved in the drawing up of the urban agenda for this territory. The ideas, principles and concepts that they impart can be extrapolated to most cities.