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The paper presents how public‐private cooperation schemes can successfully assist in the implementation of contemporary urban development policies, focusing mainly on the guidelines set by the European Union as well as the cases of three Mediterranean countries: Italy, France and Greece.

The paper approaches the issue of private financing in urban development by analyzing the main advantages of public‐private partnerships, the terms under which these co operations can be successful, as well as the way in which some national authorities in the Euro‐Mediterranean area have attempted to implement PPPs.

Mediterranean countries are lacking relatively behind concerning the adoption of public – private partnerships for urban development projects. This paper states that public‐private financing schemes have the potential of becoming an important tool for promoting urban regeneration in combination with respecting the principle of sustainability.

Attempts to encourage public policy makers and local authorities in particular to undertake relevant actions in order to promote partnerships with private institutions in the field of urban development.

Provides information on how private financing of urban development projects is being adopted in Southern Europe, thus presenting the different approaches undertaken by each of the countries in question (Italy, France and Greece) in relation to their legislative and administrative and cultural background.

This paper aims to present some challenging issues concerning urban space management in the Mediterranean region, with a special focus to sustainability.

It is structured around the outcomes of the SB05MED International Conference titled “Sustainable Construction: Action for Sustainability in the Mediterranean Region,” held in Athens in June 2005, which is the main subject of this special issue. It will present the main outcomes related to existing approaches of environmental quality in buildings as well as methodologies, policies and standards for environmental quality in buildings and cities. Furthermore, it will present future trends and explore the current situation of projects, systems and operations, as well as performance assessment tools and financial instruments and mechanisms towards sustainable construction in the Mediterranean region. Each major scientific topic is presented and analysed. Finally, a synthesis of outcomes is presented.

The paper demonstrates the links between developments in the field of sustainable building in the Mediterranean region and relates them with future developments and perspectives at a macro‐regional level.

This overview paper can be used as the starting point of future research as well as a reference paper.

The assessment of building performance in terms of environmental impact and overall sustainability approach is carried out by several methods, different in terms of structure, application and parameters involved. A review of the most frequently used tools available at the moment is presented and a comparison of the tools in terms of general characteristics and environmental parameters is undertaken. Moreover, suggestions are made with regards to a future, easy to use, sustainable building Mediterranean assessment tool.

The methods are investigated in terms general parameters such as their applicability and also in terms of their primary environmental issues of concern involved. A comparative analysis is undertaken.

The investigation showed that none of the methods seem to incorporate all the parameters involved. Especially, the economic and social factors as well as comfort, which are all significant parameters directly involved to sustainability, are assessed only by half of the tools presented. The focus of the methods seems to be on issues regarding energy, landscape‐site, resources and quality of indoor environment.

The paper encourages the development of a more complete tool, which will include as many parameters as possible and would be applicable at a macro‐regional scale (e.g. the Mediterranean region).

The paper can be used as the starting point for future research as well as a reference paper.

This paper wants to explore the potential for energy‐efficient upgrading of existing residential buildings in Belgrade, targeting the portions of the existing building stock which seem to be the most convenient for such intervention.

Using the methodology proposed by the scientific research project “Energy Optimization of Buildings in Context of Sustainable Architecture” (Faculty of Architecture – University of Belgrade and Serbian Ministry of Science and Technology) Belgrade's building stock is presented through six major groups. The typology shows different potentials of these building types for quality rehabilitation.

This paper shows that it can be estimated that over 45 percent of Belgrade's building stock could be efficiently improved in present market conditions. The potential overall benefit of such shift in the environmental quality of existing buildings is huge enough to initiate active involvement and support of various parties – authorities, legislation, building industry, professional organizations, NGOs, etc.

The paper points out which building types are the most suitable for such upgrades and improvements. It facilitates the choice for potential pilot‐projects, experimental interventions or sampling for theoretical and numerical research that could explore technical solutions and estimate possible benefits for a particular building or building type.

The paper shows rather informative overview of Belgrade's building stock, structured in order to facilitate further theoretical and practical work in this area and initiate more focused and precise quantification of potential benefits.

The paper aims to compare traditional and contemporary architecture in terms of their environmental performance. It will demonstrate that the traditional constructions create much more stable and comfortable environments than the contemporary ones.

The case study used for the analysis is the medieval settlement of Kastro in the Island of Siphnos in Greece. Five representative houses were examined; three traditional and two contemporary. They were measured and monitored for five days in terms of temperature, air movement, illuminance, and surface temperatures; however, this paper will focus on the temperature results.

The research showed that traditional houses are primarily environmental shelters, as opposed to the contemporary constructions, which failed to provide such an optimum microclimate. The contemporary need for more spacious residences with wider openings, large facades and views to the outside cannot co‐exist with the microclimate created by the heavy mass, compact, with small openings traditional dwellings.

The paper does not suggest that architects should recreate former techniques and morphology, but argues that in the quest for the sustainable building, traditional architecture can offer valuable information.

Traditional climate responsive constructions are proving to be sustainable throughout the centuries, since even today with the new technology and knowledge they perform better than the contemporary constructions.

“Sustainability” presupposes first and foremost a change in human attitude. It summons contemporary societies to take measures for the sake of future societies. It requires that each individual develops historical conscience, that each human being views himself or herself at least as a participator in his/her history, and that he/she differentiates his/her current life priorities. The latter, however, is associated with the philosophic foundation of societies, and the truth is that the philosophic institution of neoteric times that we experience at present seems to exclude such a possibility.

A conceptual discussion is the approach.

Man should review once more his existence as an integral part of a spatial and chronological whole which transcends time and space in the so‐called contemporary “physical” life, and moreover, to regain awareness of the fact that he constitutes a catalytic factor in the creation of history or that he himself is the creator of (his) history. Furthermore, societies should reset collective goals as regards the spatial and chronological, i.e. historic, expansion of their scope and impact, as a requirement for this novel (novel in the context of our neoteric era) meaning of life. We believe that we are at the threshold of such a cultural change.

In the actual continuation, renaissance, recreation of history – where undoubtedly the demands of sustainability will be regarded a self‐evident priority – it is only natural that the practice of managing and designing space, as well as architectural practice itself, which will determine in the future the image of the urban environment and consequently thought itself, partake, and in particular, by playing a pivotal role.

The paper aims to present the concept and dynamics of building environmental quality (the so‐called “high environmental quality” in France) as it has been initiated in France and as it is being actually implemented. It is also aiming at showing how the Haute Qualité Environnementale (HQE) can be a tool towards sustainable development.

The paper analyses the concept of the HQE method, its dynamics, the implementation results and its perspectives. It is showing how the HQE can contribute to sustainable development in the construction sector.

The first results obtained from the implementation of the HQE method show that, well beyond the environment, interesting results are reached in the social field (health, control loads of dwelling, reduction of the accidents on the building sites, etc.) as well as in the economic one (controlled total cost, dynamics of the professions, search and development for new materials, etc.). On the basis of the environment, the HQE thus initiates a true step of sustainable development.

In France, it is the step HQE which federates the initiatives around environmental quality in buildings. It is founded on the search for performances touching at the same time the interior environment, for the users, and the environment in general from the interior space scale up to the planet. It is an environmental management which is thus put in practice, rendering responsible and mobilizing the actors for obtaining at the same time personal and collective performances. It is a systemic approach, accounting for the complexity and lifespan of a construction, and creating a synergy among the actors.

The paper is a conceptual one. It is trying to present the approach of high environmental quality as ex‐post project methodology and the management character of the operation. It is rather original in the analysis of the dynamics and perspectives of the HQE method.

To contribute to the design of the energy service companies (ESCOs)' environment in the Mediterranean countries, mainly focusing on the constraints this company's environment face and the actions that can fulfil its needs and aims, taking also into consideration the opportunities and threats emerging from the energy liberalization and climate change.

The methodology that was followed (based in a large part on the context of two projects targeted to the Mediterranean region and funded by the European Commission) incorporated four steps, the desk analysis for energy efficiency potential in the Mediterranean, the data collection, the assessment of the constraints and the final assessment of the ESCOs' environment.

Provides information regarding the current status of ESCOs' development, in the dimensions of the ESCOs' environment (political/legal, economical/financial, social/cultural and technological), both in the European Union (EU) (Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain) and non‐EU (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey) Mediterranean countries.

There are no papers investigating the activation environment of ESCOs in a coherent and integrated way in the Mediterranean. This paper provides to decision makers a supportive framework for policy design and formulation of policy priorities for ESCOs development in the region.