"The PRIMUS project has been designed to bridge the gap between research on the European level on one hand, and policy-making at (and for) the local level on the other hand. The theme chosen for this 36-months coordination action is 'sustainable urban management', thus covering the way how the various policy areas of urban development (energy/water/waste, transport, planning and design, social inclusion, etc) are integrated, rather than one of these themes in particular. This focus is based on the assumption that the decoupling of environmental degradation and economic growth can only be achieved through a better management and governance of the largely inter-dependent issues of urban development. Indicators and information systems, efficient and effective policy processes, and innovative public participation are the main instruments to set ambitious targets, gain wide acceptance, and implement behavioural changes in society. The project is built around a series of events of different nature - so-called Connection Fora, Linkage Fora and Implementation Fora - linking into and building upon each other. They convene local governments from across Europe, researchers in the field of urban sustainability management, and national ministries and agencies dealing with sustainability policies directed at the local level in their respective Member States. A pilot dimension of the project is the 'explorative application' of two selected research-based tools for sustainable urban management by some 100 local governments throughout Europe. This application should explore the connectivity between research and policy-making and deliver criteria for its general enhancement in other thematic areas and in the future. With the European Report on Urban Sustainability - the first of its kind and derived from this explorative application - PRIMUS will demonstrate the fascinating potential of a better connectivity between research and policy-making."