Compact Cities and Sustainable Urban Development - A Critical Assessment of Policies and Plans from an International Perspective: Encouraging, even requiring, higher density urban development is a major

policy in the European Community and of Agenda 21, and a central principle of

growth management programmes used by cities around the world. This work takes a

critical look at a number of claims made by proponents of this initiative,

seeking to answer whether indeed this strategy controls the spread of urban

suburbs into open lands, is acceptable to residents, reduces trip lengths and

encourages use of public transit, improves efficiency in providing urban

infrastructure and services, and results in environmental improvements

supporting higher quality of life in cities. Most of the 24 contributions, from ten countries, focus on case experiences

which test these widely-held notions of the benefits of compact cities and draw

inferences from these cases. The book seeks to encourage and contribute to the

policy debate over the effectiveness of investments in a compact city strategy,

providing an international perspective based on observed results. This text examines the claims made by proponents of the higher density

urban development initiative. It explores whether indeed this strategy controls

the spread of urban suburbs, is acceptable to residents, reduces trip lengths,

encourages use of public transit, and improves efficiency.