European cities: facing common challenges?

The State of European Cities Report is very much to be welcomed. For the very first time, the Report presents comprehensive, comparative, and relevant statistical information from the Urban Audit on selected cities from the 27 members of the European Community. The underlying concept is critically discussed in respect to four issues: the selection of cities, the selection of topics, the spatial scale and the temporal scope of the data. Concerning the future of European cities, the paper finally reflects on how to safeguard sustainability, to maintain and foster diversity, to cope with demographic change and to strengthen the role of the cities as actors. All tiers of governance - the EU, nation-states, states/regions and cities - would be well advised to integrate the data presented in the Report into future concepts and to face up to the challenges mentioned, whether through competition or through cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]