World and European Sustainable Cities – Insights from EU research

The move towards urbanisation is progressing and more than half of the world population is today living in cities. By the 2030s, five of the world’s eight billion people will live in urban areas.

How can this continuous urbanisation trend be reconciled with the 'Rio+ 20' Earth Summit hopes and the European Union's commitment towards a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth by 2020?

This publication addresses the issues of urbanisation focusing on the concentration of needs and services, the migration and settlement patterns in Europe, the new forms of poverty and exclusion, urban welfare and social innovation, and green urban planning.

A greater understanding of the dynamics of urban societies will allow instability and risks within cities in humanitarian, economic and security terms to be better managed.

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