Cities challenges in the contemporary societies: Urban sustainability and environmental issues

Abstract

Cities face several environmental problems related to traffic, industrialization or general intensified consumption. This article presents results from the application, at the local level, of the environmental indicator Env_WeGIx that combines several variables that translate the environment conditions of Portuguese municipalities. This composite indicator was developed based on methodological procedures used for the construction of other indicators. Preliminary results show that municipalities from Lisbon and Porto metropolitan areas are located at the bottom of the ranking due to waste production, pollutant emissions and fossil fuel consumption for transports. The municipalities located in the archipelagos, Alentejo, and Algarve regions are at the ranking top. This work’s main conclusions highlight that environmental issues have direct consequences on populations’ living conditions with more emphasis on urban territories, and that public policy design should take into account solutions for the environmental challenges of urban spaces.This study allowed for the development of an urban environmental sustainability indicator through a multi-scale analysis across the Portuguese territory. This indicator provides qualified knowledge for the choice and enhancement of public policies on en-