ABSTRACT
Any survey of the past twenty years of urban development in Europe would reveal considerable change. Not only has there been a substantial expansion of the built-up area but, more importantly, attitudes towards the city have drastically altered. The city is being rediscovered for purposes of tourism and recreation. In the 1970s, little attention was paid to the potential for tourism and recreation in the city centre. In the 1980s, however, radical changes took place. Since then, the potential of tourism and recreation has been positively emphasized in a never-ending flow of plans to renew city centres and waterfronts. Shopping as a form of leisure activity is being discovered, and more attention is being paid to the cultural function of the city centre. Any wider conception of European heritage and its planning should be based on detailed local knowledge of tourism and recreation patterns and demands.
