ABSTRACT
We live in an increasingly urban world. Towns already cover 2% of the Earth’s surface and are responsible for consuming over 75% of natural resources (Müller & Werner, 2010). Today, more than half of the world’s population live in a town (CBD 2007). At the same time, the trend is a move towards massive globalization. This is particularly the case in Europe and North America. Faced with depleting natural resources and deteriorating natural environments due to urban sprawl, sustainable development has become a major issue for many of those involved in urban planning, in particular local authorities and businesses.
