German cities are particularly lively and have been protected from out of town developments through positive planning and the containment of urban sprawl.

Rotterdam has promoted its distinctive strengths, such as its port and technological universities to make it a significant European location for international businesses.

Oxford has redeveloped its old coach station at Gloucester Green, creating in the process an attractive place to wait for buses or to change between long distance coaches and rural services. .

A £20 million strategy for upgrading the town centre was approved with 50% funding from the Government.

As traditional industries have declined, the city centre has been the focus of a series of growth initiatives in an attempt to maintain York’s economic position.

The Council has promoted a major scheme to improve links between the shopping centre and the railway station.

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road proposals were dropped in favour of traffic management, and Exeter was one of the first British cities to go for traffic calming.

The creation of a quality environment has been accompanied by the continued development of new attractions, including the Coppergate shopping centre.

Faced with strong competition from other towns, Wolverhampton Council has put a great deal of effort into improving the town's image .

Traffic congestion is a particular problem for historic cities like Oxford, where cars can spoil the experience for pedestrians, and building bypasses or relief roads is extremely difficult. .