In Europe, the typical examples are the Randstadt in the Netherlands and the Rhine region in Germany, which contrast with the Paris region in France or south-east England where development tends to be focused on Paris and London, respectively. The two sources used for the analysis are the EU Labour Force Survey and the Urban Audit. It should be noted that local units with low population density but completely encircled by an urban or intermediate area are counted as part of this, while those situated between an urban and intermediate one are counted as part of the latter. The Urban Audit was carried out between 1998 and 2000 with the aim of measuring the quality of life in towns and cities in the Union. The pilot phase, which is the basis of the data cited in the text, covered a small sample of 58 urban centres, so the results need to be interpreted with care.
Many European cites have serious problems of poverty and social exclusion in particular districts.
According to the Urban Audit, in cities like Hamburg, Toulouse, Naples, Genoa, Glasgow or Edinburgh, unemployment rates can vary significantly between districts, being up to 10 times higher in the worst affected parts than in the least affected. The same is true of dependency rates.