European sustainable cities. Report by the Expert Group on the Urban Environment

Summary:

The Expert Group on the Urban Environment was established by the European Commission in 1991. In 1993 the Expert Group, which consists of national representatives and independent experts, launched the Sustainable Cities Project focusing on sustainable urban development and the integration of environmental objectives into planning and management strategies. The main output of the project, the European Sustainable Cities Report, is concerned with identifying the principles of sustainable development and the mechanisms needed to pursue it, not only in cities, but at all levels of the urban settlement hierarchy.

The report has an institutional as well as an environmental focus. It is concerns with the capacity of local governments to deliver sustainability. Working towards sustainability requires a fresh look at existing policies and mechanisms and a strong set of principles on which environmentally-sound action may be based. The legal and organisational basis for urban environmental action varies between different Member States, but despite these differences, local governments throughout Europe are, through their various functions (e.g. service provider, regulator, manager), now in a position to advance the goals of sustainability. The report provides a framework for local action and identifies a set of principles to use in setting goals and in evaluating and monitoring progress towards sustainability in urban areas.