Introduction: Why Study European Cities?

Timothy Beatley

We are living on an increasingly urban planet. In 2008 we passed the halfway mark—50% of the world's population now live in cities, and that percentage is projected to increase to 70% by 2050. There is no turning back the urban trend. Yet ironically we have as a species yet to successfully design and plan cities that will accommodate our economic and demographic needs while uplifting and elevating us, and protect, restore, and nurture the planet and its natural systems. That we need new models of urbanization—that is, sustainable urbanization—is especially clear here in the U.S. Where to look for new models is always a question, and as this book argues, European cities remain a powerful source of potent ideas and inspiring practice. The chapters to follow, chosen to highlight the practices of some of these most innovative European urban exemplars, are written by experts and local planners who know these cities well.

Where we look first should be determined by a combination of those places with basic similarities—cultural, economic, political—and places employing a rich array of innovative tools, strategies, and ideas. And of course we should also look at cities that have already been successful at bringing about, and maintaining over a long period of time, the urban qualities and conditions we admire.

This is an especially promising time to think about and promote the environmental role of cities. There has been considerable attention paid in the last decade to how notions of sustainability begin to apply at local and regional levels. Many communities around the U.S. (and the world) are struggling to develop and implement a wide variety of initiatives and programs to make their communities more sustainable and livable. While the global (and local) problems faced are daunting, never has there been more attention paid to, and more faith expressed in, the ultimate sustainability of cities. In UN meetings, such as the 2006 UN World Urban Forum in Vancouver, which I attended (and the two subsequent world urban forums in Nanjing and Rio, respectively), nations across the globe have embraced the concepts of sustainable urbanization and sustainable communities as central to any real progress toward solving world environmental and social problems on an increasingly urban planet.

In the face of absent federal leadership on climate change, mayors and other local government leaders have shown significant leadership. The Mayors Climate Change Agreement, an initiative of former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels, has been signed by some 1,054 cities (as of July 2011), committing them to meet, and ideally exceed, the greenhouse emission targets of the Kyoto Accord. Many cities have embraced the goals and vision of sustainability, but are not entirely sure how to reach them and are hungry for new ideas, tools, methods, and models.

Cities and metropolitan regions are the newest and perhaps most important venues in tackling sustainability and in advancing a green agenda. It is at this level that many things are possible, that creative and innovative practice can find expression, that committed citizens and organizations can exert pressure and make a difference. The promise of the local is great indeed, and its stock is on the rise.

Over the last several decades, many American cities and local governments have developed and implemented sustainability initiatives, from Chicago to Cleveland to Santa Monica. Many of these communities have attempted to become fundamentally greener and have made significant and impressive strides. Yet, despite good progress in many communities, these initiatives are still very much in their formative stages, especially when compared with their European counterparts. In few other parts of the world is there as much interest in urban sustainability and urban greening policy as in Europe, especially northern and northwestern Europe.

I have been studying green initiatives in European cities for nearly twenty years (see Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities). One of my first observations from this work was that sustainability appeared to be much more commonly applied and pursued at the local or municipal level in Europe, and this is especially true for the cities included in this book. "Sustainable cities" resonates well and has important political meaning and significance in these locales, and on the European urban scene generally.

Europe has indeed been a pioneer in the area of sustainable cities. Fifteen years ago, the EU funded the start-up of a critical initiative, the Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign, which became an important network of communities pursuing common sustainability goals. Participating cities approved the so-called Aalborg Charter (from Aalborg, Denmark, the site of the first campaign conference). As of 2011, more than 2,500 cities and towns had signed the charter. In addition to connecting cities and providing information about sustainability initiatives, this organization gives out a European Sustainable City Award (the first was issued in 1996), something that has become highly coveted and valued by politicians and city officials. I had the chance to visit the mayor of Albertslund, Denmark, a winner of this award, and will not forget the pride with which the mayor held up the award for us to photograph; he clearly viewed this as a significant accomplishment, and as a credit to the value (political and popular) placed on all matters green and sustainable.

Europeans have found many similar ways to inspire, encourage, and provide positive support for cities pursuing sustainability. Cities can now compete for the designation of Green Capital City, for instance. This program was created by the European Commission to recognize cities that have a "consistent record of achieving high environmental standards," and are "committed to ongoing and ambitious goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development." Cities are also chosen to serve as role models for other cities, and to inspire other cities in a bit of friendly competition.

European cities represent important sources of ideas and inspiration about green urban development and policies. The chapters that follow attempt to go well beyond the brief descriptions and anecdotal materials currently available about these cities, to understand, document, and describe much more thoroughly these innovative local (and regional) European green efforts. The result will be an extremely important and valuable resource for the hundreds of communities in the U.S. aiming to become more sustainable.

It is important to...