Samenvatting

The paper is centered on the issue of sustainable development and how cities approach in their urban planning the need to diminish the environmental impact of their economic activities and at the same time create quality of life for their citizens. The focus is specifically on linking economic growth with sustainable patterns in urban areas by proving that economy and sustainability are notions which manage to exist simultaneously at urban level. The work is structured in three main chapters aiming to present a comprehensive picture by first defining existing problems, then cities' strategies and finally giving additional evidence with concrete examples from case studies in the field.

Chapter one is an introduction to the issue of sustainable development, its definition and different elements. The need for analysing sustainability at a city scale is explained with support from academic sources for the impact of urban areas on environment. Thirdly, the two contradictory notions of economic development and sustainability in the paper are presented to the reader with their definitions and the angles from which this work will look at them: 'green economy' and eco-innovation.

Chapter two is based entirely on results of the survey 'Cities investing in sustainable strategies' conducted by the author among the members of the Economic Development Forum of the urban European network EUROCITIES. The chapter is further divided into two sections, the first acquainting the reader with the results, the second one presenting their analysis. The aim is to distinguish the milestones of cities' strategies and approach concerning sustainable development.

Chapter three is a collection of examples from three major European cities (Bergen, Vienna and Malaga) of concrete projects they conduct in relation to 'greening' the local economy and eco-innovation. The projects stress on cities' involvement in the sustainable future of the European continent and their ability to create innovative solutions to environmental challenges.

The paper ends with the most important findings from the issues presented. For instance, the fact that there are no 'one-size-fits-all' solutions for cities aiming at combining economic growth and sustainability- strategies need to be tailored to the local and national context. The conclusion includes also thoughts and evaluation from the author on the significance of the continuation of sustainable development in European urban areas and the involvement of citizens as a crucial factor.