The city system: sustainable urbanism, city and governance

Abstract

Cities are the place where citizens find solutions to the majority of their needs. The cities are highly populated, they are where the majority live and where most of the world’s wealth is generated. The way in which we understand the urban planning, the development of the cities and its governance, will determinate the sustainability of each city. Therefore, the way we understand our urban planning has been analyzed through different accounts. We look at the role of the city in the world. The local governance in the United States and California is studied, also the European perspective and of Spain. Finally, we believe to develop consortiums, as a way to achieve sustainable, integrated and smart urbanism.