• provide a systematic description of :
  - urban issues
  - urban developments
  - urban policies or
  - urban policy-making and policy implementation
• seek to explain variations in urban policies or urban governance cross-sectorally or cross-nationally or that seek to explain such variations over time
• analyse and/or evaluate the effects of urban policies or process of urban governance
• analyse European-wide factors that impact on urban areas, urban policies and urban governance

As well as traditional academic papers, the journal includes a policy section, a project report section and book reviews. The policy section focuses on new policies launched at the European, national and regional levels that are of relevance to a wider audience. The project report section focuses on innovative projects being carried out at a local level (in cities or regions).

One of the key aims of the journal is to seek to bridge the intellectual and geographical 'divides' that currently exist in the field of urban affairs - specifically the North/South divide and the East/West divide and also the divides between distinct academic disciplines.