The Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment is one of the key actions outlined in the 6th Community Environment Action Programme and is to be presented to the European Parliament and the Council in 2005. Four priority themes have been identified for the Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment, and independent working groups have been established on each of these four themes. They are:

• Sustainable Urban Transport
• Sustainable Urban Management
• Sustainable Urban Design
• Sustainable Urban Construction

DG Environment of the European Commission awarded a service contract to the European Academy of the Urban Environment (EA.UE) to prepare an Overview Report for each of 12 Candidate Countries related to the four priority themes.

The candidate countries in question are:

Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.

These Overview Reports represent summaries of research findings including interviews with ‘key resource persons’ and accumulated experience at EA.UE, as well as other relevant publications. The most pressing urban problems have been identified, as have good or best practices, and common barriers to an implementation of best (sustainable) practice in each candidate country.

In general, the Overview Reports examine key aspects of urbanisation for each candidate country, including (local) administrative and legal structures, financial arrangements and relationships between local, national and international programmes and political structures. Emphasis is placed on problems and solutions and relevant good practice in the fields of the four thematic areas:

• Urban Transport deals for example with questions of transportation management and planning, individual (motor vehicle) versus public transport, general trends in traffic problems, and ownership of transport systems.
• Urban Management looks at questions such as the roles of NGOs and civil society in local planning, new (changing) administrative systems, integrated versus sectoral planning, and legislative foundations for environmental and planning activities.
• Urban Design is concerned for example with overall urban spatial structure, approaches to green spaces and brownfields, relationships between inner cities and suburbs, urban sprawl, and problems of neglected historical structures as well as poor quality pre-fabricated housing estates.
• Urban Construction investigates among other things the legal basis for building regulations, practices concerning renovation and renewal of both older and newer structures, energy and resource efficiency, and access to information, for example for architects and engineers, regarding sustainable building.

Table of contents

0. Executive Summary..............................................................................................................i

1.1 Background, context and aims.............................................................................................1

1.2 Methodology and limitations.................................................................................................2

2.1 General (legal) initial position and implementation...........................................................4

2.2 Current status of spatial planning........................................................................................7

2.3 Key urban problems outside priority fields and EU programmes....................................8

2.4 Sustainable urban management..........................................................................................9

2.5. Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................11

2.6 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................13

2.7 Sustainable construction.....................................................................................................16

2.8 Summary / conclusions........................................................................................................17

3.1. Basic information..................................................................................................................18

3.2 Overall situation in urban areas..........................................................................................19

3.3 Sustainable urban management........................................................................................20

3.4 Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................22

3.5 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................23

3.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.........................................................25

4.1. Basic information..................................................................................................................26

4.2 Overall situation in urban areas..........................................................................................27

4.3 Sustainable urban management........................................................................................28

4.4 Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................30

4.5 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................32

4.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.........................................................34

5.1. Basic information..................................................................................................................35

5.2 Overall situation in urban areas..........................................................................................35

5.3 Sustainable urban management........................................................................................37

5.4 Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................39

5.5 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................41

5.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.........................................................43

6. Country Report: Estonia

6.1. Basic information..................................................................................................................44

6.2 Overall situation in urban areas..........................................................................................44

6.3 Sustainable urban management........................................................................................45

6.4 Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................47

6.5 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................49

6.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.........................................................51

7.1. Basic information..................................................................................................................53

7.2 Overall situation in urban areas..........................................................................................53

7.3 Sustainable urban management........................................................................................55

7.4 Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................58

7.5 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................61

7.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.........................................................63

8.1. Basic information..................................................................................................................64

8.2 Overall situation in urban areas.........................................................................................64

8.3 Sustainable urban management........................................................................................67

8.4 Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................69

8.5 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................71

8.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.........................................................74

9.1 Basic information..................................................................................................................75

9.2 Overall situation in urban areas..........................................................................................75

9.3 Sustainable urban management........................................................................................76

9.4 Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................78

9.5 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................79

9.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.........................................................81

10.1. Basic information..................................................................................................................83

10.2 Overall situation in urban areas..........................................................................................83

10.3 Sustainable urban management........................................................................................84

10.4 Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................85

10.5 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................87

10.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.........................................................89

11.1. Basic information..................................................................................................................90

11.2 Overall situation in urban areas.........................................................................................90

11.3 Sustainable urban management........................................................................................91

11.4 Sustainable urban transport................................................................................................93

11.5 Sustainable urban design....................................................................................................95

11.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.........................................................97

12.1. Basic information..................................................................................................................99

12.2 Overall situation in urban areas.........................................................................................99

12.3 Sustainable urban management......................................................................................100

12.4 Sustainable urban transport..............................................................................................102

12.5 Sustainable urban design..................................................................................................103

12.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.......................................................105

13.1. Basic information................................................................................................................107

13.2 Overall situation in urban areas........................................................................................108

13.3 Sustainable urban management......................................................................................109

13.4 Sustainable urban transport..............................................................................................111

13.5 Sustainable urban design..................................................................................................113

13.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.......................................................116

14.1. Basic information................................................................................................................118

14.2 Overall situation in urban areas........................................................................................118

14.3 Sustainable urban management......................................................................................119

14.4 Sustainable urban transport..............................................................................................121

14.5 Sustainable urban design..................................................................................................123

14.6 Sustainable construction methods and techniques.......................................................126

1. List of good practice examples or case studies.............................................................A-1

2. List of sources and key documents...............................................................................A-10

3. List of general sources and literature............................................................................A-18

4. List of key resource persons and institutions...............................................................A-19

5. Key instruments and tools suggested by key resource persons..............................A-21

6. State of accession negotiations and progress reports...............................................A-25

Executive Summary

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