The Environmental Atlas

Percentage of green and blue urban areas — share of cities per class per country: The diagram shows the proportion of cities per country that falls in a particular class regarding the share of green and blue urban areas.
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
EEA Briefing 4/2006 - Urban sprawl in Europe: Located in Publications
Air quality and ancillary benefits of climate change policies: The Thematic Strategy on air pollution aims to improve European air pollution significantly by 2020. This report from the European Environment Agency looks a further ten years into the future, and brings together two major policy challenges — combating climate change and reducing air pollution — in an integrated way. Thus, the report analyses projected changes in European air quality up to 2030, and explores the possible benefits of climate policies on air quality and the costs of air pollution abatement.
Located in Publications
Adapting to climate change - SOER 2010 thematic assessment: Climate change is happening and will continue to have far-reaching consequences for human and natural systems. Impacts and vulnerabilities differ considerably across regions, territories and economic sectors in Europe. Strategies to adapt to climate change are necessary to manage impacts even if global temperature stays below a 2 °C increase above the pre-industrial level. The EU adaptation framework aims at developing a comprehensive strategy by 2013, to be supported by a clearinghouse for sharing and maintaining information on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation.
Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010 › Thematic assessments
Urban environment - SOER 2010 thematic assessment: The global population is congregating in our cities. Eighty per cent of the world’s estimated nine billion people in 2050 are expected to live in urban areas. Our cities and urban areas face many challenges from social to health to environmental. The impacts of cities and urban areas are felt in other regions which supply cities with food, water and energy and absorb pollution and waste. However, the proximity of people, businesses and services associated with the very word ‘city’ means that there are also huge opportunities. Indeed, well designed, well managed urban settings offer a key opportunity for sustainable living.
Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010 › Thematic assessments
Urban - key fact 4: A city affects a large area outside its own boundaries. For example, London alone is thought to need an area of almost 300 times its geographical size to satisfy its demands and for disposal of its waste and emissions.
Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010 › … › Urban environment - SOER 2010 thematic assessment › Key facts
Air pollution - State and impacts (Finland): Air pollution - State and Impacts
Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010 › Country assessments › Finland
Urban and natural/semi-natural ecotones of Europe: Hot spot analyses showing density of transitions between urban areas and natural/semi-natural/open and wetland areas, derived from Corine land cover 2006
Located in Data and maps › Interactive maps
Illustration of the behaviour of five landscape metrics in the phases of shrinkage and attrition of the remaining parcels of open landscape due to the growth of an urban area: First row: change of the landscape over time (black lines = highways, black area = residential or commercial area; size of the landscape: 4 km × 4 km = 16 km2). Only the effective mesh size behaves in a suitable way (bottom diagram). APS and n both exhibit a jump in their values (even though the process in the landscape is continuous); DTL and nUDA100 do not respond to the increase in fragmentation. (meff = effective mesh size, n = number of patches, APS = average patch size, nUDA100 = number of large undissected low-traffic areas > 100 km2, DTL = density of transportation lines).
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Urban soil sealing in Europe: Soil is the earth's living skin and provides us with essential services for life in our planet: production of food; infiltration and cleansing of water and protection against flooding; habitat for plants; areas for recreation and mental health; micro climate regulation, etc. It is such a crucial resource that it can't be ignored. However, particularly in urban areas, soil is being sealed off with increasing housing and infrastructure.
Located in Articles