Our picture of the Alps is influenced by idealised and even mystical ideas, and we see the Alps mainly as a region with a purely rural character. What we tend to forget is the fact that two thirds of the Alpine population now live in cities and urban agglomerations.
This volume of proceedings focuses on the Alpine town and country dichotomy and the resulting challenges for policymakers and regional planners, for tourists and the resident population. The authors derive their ideas from local and regional examples of best practice and develop strategies for sustainable development. The result is a fresh view and a new approach, with the Alpine towns assuming the role of the motor for development in the Alpine space. Policymakers are now called upon to establish the right priorities for the urban centres to play an active role in the context of their responsibility for the Alps.