Cities: Steering Towards Sustainability English 2012

The twenty-first century is already an urban one. Citiesarepivotal to sustainability concerns -globalization, climatechange, food security, environmental protection, and innovation. Today's urban actors, both citizens and their leaders, haveamajor responsibility as trustees of the future: theirpresentactions will influence the shape and structure of cities, sothatthe generation to come may live healthy and contended lives. This volume takes the reader straight to the heart ofhowcities work, and identifies contemporary trends, mechanismandtools that can influence current strategies and choices. The authors show that urbanization is not a problem persefor sustainable development, but rather that cities, in alltheirdiversity and complexity, offer solutions as well aschallenges. The reader will be inspired by vital analyses of thenextdecade's windows of opportunity for sustainable urban growth.