Environmental Problems of the City Centres: A report prepared for the Environment and Consumer Protection Service of the Commission of the European Communities

1. General background to the problem.- 1.1. Introduction.- 1.2. Historical evolution of the problem.- 2. Analysis by country of city-centre policy.- 2.1. Germany.- 2.2. Belgium.- 2.3. Denmark.- 2.4. France.- 2.5. Ireland.- 2.6. Italy.- 2.7. Luxemburg.- 2.8. The Netherlands.- 2.9. The United Kingdom.- 3. Synthesis of the problems of the city centres.- 3.1. Physical image.- 3.2. The effect of expansion of the office sector.- 3.3. The economics of land and its impact in city centre renovation.- 3.4. City centre residents.- 3.5. Transportation.- 3.6. Protection of monuments and sites.- 3.7. The urban environment.- 4. Different approaches to the problem.- 4.1. A typology of city centres.- 4.2. A search for solutions.- 4.3. Judicial and administrative means.- 4.4. The role of the international organizations.- 5. Policy objectives.- 5.1. Introduction.- 5.2. Policies.- 6. Recommendations for the short term.- 6.1. A conference on a European policy for improving the inner-city environment.- 6.2. Seminars on particular problems of city centres.- 6.3. Privileged enterprises.- 6.4. European pilot-projets for improvement of the environment of inner cities.- 7. Proposals for studies.- 7.1. Study of the supply and demand for office space on a community-wide basis.- 7.2. Working group for land use policy.- 7.3. Study of the application of master planning.