European urban areas face a number of environmental challenges. Although the scale and intensity of the problems vary, a common set of issues can be identified. These comprise poor air quality, traffic volumes and congestion, high levels of ambient noise and scarcity of quiet areas as sport, play and recreational areas, neglect of the built environment, high level of greenhouse gas emissions, urban sprawl and generation of large volumes of waste and waste water. These environmental challenges are serious and have significant impacts on health, the environment and economic performance
