Birgit Georgi

Smart Growth, Malmö 5 April 2011

European Environment Agency

CitiesCitiesmaking Europe sustainablemaking Europe sustainable

Europe in a nutshell

The world as we know it …

2002

Population

2002

Wealth

Europes wealth and resources Out

Mill

ion

to

nn

es

In

China & India catch up

China

India

Europe

GD

P I

ncr

ease

0

5

10

15

20

25

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2050

20022015

Wealth in the future

We risk our

quality of life

Cities in Europe ...

75% people4% area

… where wealth is generated

… … and where we liveand where we live

Photo: Jörg Thiemann-Linden

??

69%

Cities consume

of Europe’s primary energy

Source: IEA, 2008

… and effect whole Europe

London’s ecological footprint is around twice the size of

Great Britain

Source: www.citylimitslondon.com/

But !

tonnes of oil equivalent / year in Europe

Source: IEA, 2008

rural resident

4.9

city resident

3.5

Efficiency

Energy consumptionPassenger transport versus density

European cities

Source: WWF, 2007

Resident’s transport footprint

Imagine, we all would spread across the countryside ...

95

100

105

110

115

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Per

cent

age

incr

ease Population

Urban growth

In fact, we are spreading!

Source: EEA, 2010

Source: EEA, 2010

Some hope

Challenges Challenges aheadahead

• Scarcity of resources

• Climate change

Turn challenges into potentials !

• Scarcity of resources

• Climate change

• Urban density

Green it!Green it!Cool it!Cool it!

Co-benefitsclean airquiet

public space

social contacts

green

attractive

compact

greenefficient

nice

We are different

No one-size-fit-all!

Back to Europe …

The cities have Europe in their hand

… but are not alone

EU cohesion p.

EU transport p.

EU rural p.

EU climate p.

Local rural p. Other citie’s p.

Urban planning and design urban energy p.

urban transport

Integrated & multi-level

European

national

local

Quality of life

for all!

European Environment Agencywww.eea.europa.eu

Cities -