Cities and city regions are growing throughout the world and this trend is forecast to continue well into the 21st century. The authors of The Rise of the City see the next 100 years as being the "Urban Century". In this book they examine urban growth and the dynamics that are transforming the...

In our modern network world, ICT acts as a connecting and integratingmechanism. Information (data, knowledge)has become a core constellation in an open economy. The avalanche ofinformation supply however, has not keptpace with the use of information by decision-making bodies.Especially in the...

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have become important tools to promote a variety of public goals and policies. In the past years much attention has been given to the expected social benefits from deploying ICT in different fields (transportation, education, public participation...

The Algarve region in Portugal is often considered as one of the most appealing regions for tourism in the country. Its attractive location and moderate climate have since the mid-1960s brought increasing economic prosperity. As a result of the development of mass tourism, available land-use...

The Algarve faces unprecedented challenges resulting from increase of urban sprawl and population density along its coastal perimeters. A growing loss of ecosystems and natural landscapes have led to major asymmetries between the interior of the Algarve and the littoral areas. The depletion of...