ABSTRACT
The most important drivers of urbanization are economic and demographic growth processes. The urbanization process in African and Asian countries is accompanied by complex transformation processes. Urban growth is still strongly associated with megacities, which exert a strong attraction as regional, national or even international centres. The concept of sustainable development assumes that it can be applied across space, time and society, and accordingly it should also be applicable to urban circumstances. The terms “urban sustainability” and “sustainability in urban areas” are often used interchangeably in similar contexts. An often-cited definition of a sustainable city is provided by the Environment Programme and the Human Settlement Programme of the United Nations. Urban structures and processes are also the subject of multifaceted negotiation processes. Building on the theory-oriented investigation of urban sustainability, the individual dimensions of urban sustainability need to be discussed in more depth.
