Urban Infrastructure in Transition

* Groundbreaking research into the changes taking place in urban infrastructure and management * Examines the ways in which flows of energy and materials through cities can be made more productive and sustainable * Major study for academics and professionals involved in urban planning and management Examines the mounting pressures for change on the infrastructure of cities - in particular the utilities for water, energy, sewage and solid waste. These pressures come from different quarters - liberalization and privatization of the markets for services, tighter environmental standards, new economic incentives, competing technologies, changing consumption patterns causing overuse or over-capacity. Achieving sustainable energy and resource use is vital if cities are to thrive or even function. The authors show, on the basis of thorough coverage of a number of European cities, how much potential improved management of infrastructure holds for the improving environmental and service quality. More efficient technology has a part to play, but the really significant improvements in quality of life will be delivered when the flow of material and energy through a city is focused on achieving these goals in each city's local context.