European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Urban Policy
Cohesion policy and the integration of migrants in urban areas
Written by Christiaan van Lierop, With migration largely an urban reality, the successful integration of migrants in our towns and cities is of key importance if Europe is to find a long-term solution to the migrant question. The EU’s cohesion policy can provide support for countries in this area through investments under the European Social … Continue reading
A research and innovation agenda for European urban areas and cities
Written by Mihalis Kritikos Follow the event via webstreaming or join the discussion on Twitter with #UrbanSTOA In the 21st century, the world enters the urban age; in which the urban half of the global population is responsible for around 80 % of global economic activity. The European Union is more urban still, with 75 … Continue reading
‘State of the EU’ to the fore [September plenary session]
Written by Mitja Brus Jean-Claude Juncker’s ‘State of the Union’ (#SOTEU) address to the European Parliament will feature in the first EP plenary session after the summer recess. On Wednesday 9 September at 9am he will make his first such address as President of the European Commission. For this major event we will soon publish … Continue reading
Developing an EU urban agenda
Written by Christiaan van Lierop Our towns and cities are home to nearly three quarters of the EU’s population and most EU policies concern them, be it directly or indirectly. Within the EU, a shared vision of urban development has gradually taken shape at inter-governmental level. At the same time there have been increasing calls … Continue reading
The international dimension of European Urban Policy
Written by Isabel Moran Vidal Cities in the European Union Nowadays, 71.7% of the population of the European Union (EU) lives in urban areas . Cities play an important role in implementing policies related to culture, economic and social development, climate and environment. Moreover, in order to achieve the goals stated in Europe 2020 , … Continue reading
Me and my urbanity
The global population is forecast to increase to 9.1 billion by 2050. Urban population will grow from 50% to 70% of that total. Global CO2 emissions from inland passenger and freight transport is also predicted to grow around 100% by 2050 – by 500% in China and India. Unsurprisingly, such population expansion will put pressure … Continue reading
Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture
Urban and peri-urban agriculture has been defined as the cultivation of crops and rearing of animals for food and other uses within and surrounding the boundaries of cities, including fisheries and forestry. It comprehends a multifunctional of food production activities, as well as herbs, medicinal and ornamental plants for both home consumption and for the … Continue reading
Sustainable Urban Development
Smart growth, green growth and inclusive growth are the three pillars of sustainability. An urban integrated approach rather than a sectorial one is needed to ensure the success of the policy. Urban policy has to provide cities in Europe with instruments to achieve the right balance between the social, economic and environmental dimensions. This Keysource … Continue reading
What is a city? In focus on urban areas
What has anything from around 700 people to more than 17,000,000 and can cover from 0,44 square metres to more than 2,500 square kilometers? Cities: whether a huge metropolis, a national capital or a historic town or port – cities have much in common. The typologies proposed for Europe’s cities by various organisations all have their … Continue reading
Cities and demography
Demographic changes, population migration, urban shrinkage, integration of migrants, adaptation of infrastructure to population’s growth are challenges Europe’s cities will have to tackle in the future. This Keysource includes selected reports, studies and analyses as well as statistical data on demographic change in EU’s cities. Overviews Demographic Challenges for European Regions: The Role of the … Continue reading
European Union’s Cities – a typology
There are many typologies of Europe’s cities suggested by different organisations and they all have their limitations. Some organisations (EU and OECD) have agreed on a common methodology for defining cities which allows for the first time a comparison of the number of cities and the share of population in them on a harmonised basis … Continue reading
Urban mobility
European cities and their populations are facing everyday problems related to transport and mobility: congestion, air and noise pollution, inefficient public transport services, accidents… The European Union is aware of the issues and has proposed initiatives to tackle it from different aspects since the mid 90’s. But the organization of urban mobility is primarily a … Continue reading
From urban-rural linkages to urban-rural relationships in the EU
Urban and rural areas are increasingly integrated. In OECD countries, 80% of the rural population lives close to cities. Current and common challenges such as climate change, efficient use of natural resources (water, land), equal access to public services or demographic changes just to name a few, can be tackled more easily if cooperation exists … Continue reading
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