ABSTRACT
Efficient energy use and related environmental management constitute nowadays a massive challenge to technology and policymaking. Effective energy and environmental policy is necessary in view of the global problems of the burning of fossil fuels and the loss of vegetation which–as a result of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere–contribute to the greenhouse effect. Especially in era, urbanization has become a worldwide phenomenon. Urbanization presupposes an intricate and efficient organization of space and time for all human activities. Mainly due to the division of labour, mankind has managed to benefit significantly from economies of scale in geographical concentrations. The twelve cities in the CITIES programme exhibit a wide range of features. The population of the participating cities varies from just 25,000 to more than 1 million (Torino). Some municipalities cover more or less the entire metropolitan area, such as Gent, Odense and Besancon.
