Gemeinden, Städte und Regionen sehen sich mit verschärfter internationaler Konkurrenz konfrontiert. Umwelt-, Verkehrs- und Versorgungsprobleme nehmen Ausmaße an, die von kommunaler Seite allein nicht mehr zu lösen sind. Hinzu treten zum Teil massive soziale Polarisierungstendenzen und ein...

"The Randstad metropolitan region encompassing Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht in the western Netherlands is regarded worldwide as a model of a 'successful' polycentric metropolis. It is widely cited as an example of how a region of interconnected small cities can effectively compete...

Peri-urban landscapes are some of the world's most vulnerable areas. Although they are often thought of simply as land awaiting development, these landscapes retain important natural resources and make valuable contributions to agriculture, water use, biodiversity conservation, landscape...