Cities already shelter more than half of humankind and appear, more than ever, as Janus-faced realities, the best and worst of places, vulnerable but still full of hope and will to advance towards sustainable development. The battle for sustainable development will be won or lost in (or because of) cities. The first reason is simply their sheer size, this extraordinary concentration of people and activities. Furthermore, cities are the only places where people and resources congregate at a point beyond which synergetic effects become more important than simply additive ones. Cities also promote open democracies and produce models that are disseminated to the World. The book offers a 360 view of the challenges facing cities in terms of growth and competitiveness, governance, sustainability, social inclusion, science, culture and the arts, urban renaissance and planning, and indicates innovative responses by pioneer cities.

Dr. Voula Mega graduated as an engineer and holds a DEA and PhD from the French Institute of City Planning and post-Doc from Oxford and Harvard University. She worked for the Greek Government and international bodies and published many books with international organisations and publishers. She is an official of the European Commission.