Focus on European Cities 12 Focus on European Cities
Focus on European cities 12 Focus on European cities Part of the Europe 2020 strategy focuses on sustainable and There were 36 cities with a population of between half a socially inclusive growth within the cities and urban areas million and 1 million inhabitants, including the following of the European Union (EU). These are often major centres capital cities: Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Riga (Latvia), for economic activity and employment, as well as transport Vilnius (Lithuania) and København (Denmark). A further network hubs. Apart from their importance for production, 85 cities were in the next tier, with populations ranging be- cities are also focal points for the consumption of energy and tween a quarter of a million and half a million, including other materials, and are responsible for a high share of total Bratislava, Tallinn and Ljubljana, the capital cities of Slova- greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, cities and urban re- kia, Estonia and Slovenia. Only two capital cities figured in gions often face a range of social difficulties, such as crime, the tier of 128 cities with 150 000 to 250 000 people, namely poverty, social exclusion and homelessness. The Urban Audit Lefkosia (Cyprus) and Valletta (Malta). The Urban Audit also assesses socioeconomic conditions across cities in the EU, provides results from a further 331 smaller cities in the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Croatia and Turkey, providing valuable with fewer than 150 000 inhabitants, including the smallest information in relation to Europe’s cities and urban areas. capital
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