ABSTRACT
The urban future of Europe is a matter of great concern. More than a quarter of the European Union’s territory has now been directly affected by urban land use; by 2020, approximately 80 per cent of Europeans will be living in urban areas, while in seven countries the proportion will be 90 per cent or more. As a result, the various demands for land in and around cities are becoming increasingly acute. On a daily basis, rapid, visible and conflicting changes in land use are shaping landscapes in cities and around them as never before.
