City-Hinterland Relationships

Abstract

Sustainable development addresses global problems and is thus a global development. When we think about sustainable development at the regional or urban scale we clearly have to be aware that we can only cope with a limited range of aspects of the whole concept of sustainable development. To reach global equity, e.g., the local level is obviously not sufficient. But even though sustainable development needs global considerations, the practical development process can neither be introduced globally nor be defined quantitatively on the global scale. To some degree we have to deal here with a paradoxical situation. The way out is to work simultaneously at all levels and directions; from top to bottom and from bottom to top.