Green Economy Practices in Selected Cities of the European Union: The Cases of Amsterdam, Freiburg, Copenhagen and Ljubljana

This study comparatively analyzes green economy practices in four leading EU member states: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Freiburg, and Ljubljana. Urban green transition strategies through multi-level governance, policy instruments, citizen participation, circular economy practices, and sustainable infrastructure development. A qualitative multiple case study design was adopted for the analysis based on secondary data from municipal strategy documents, EU policy frameworks, academic literature, and reports by international organizations. The cities were selected using purposive sampling based on the following criteria: (i) EU membership; (ii) long-term green economy strategies; (iii) international recognition such as European Green Capital; and (iv) academic and institutional data availability. Data analysis was carried out by means of qualitative content analysis using a category-based coding framework. NVivo 14 was used for coding and thematic structuring. Key analytical categories included policy domains (e.g., energy, mobility, waste, green infrastructure), governance models (e.g., participatory, public-private), policy instruments (e.g., incentives regulatory tools), and performance metrics (e.g., emissions reductions waste diversion rates). Results indicated that the city has developed a distinct mix of green policies determined by its institutional capacity local resources and social context. For example: Amsterdam emphasizes circular economy and smart mobility; Copenhagen integrated infrastructure in line with carbon neutrality targets; Freiburg governance model centered on civic engagement; Ljubljana success in waste management plus planning for green spaces. SWOT analyses revealed the strengths and weaknesses of each city in terms of their green economy policies. The study underlines the importance of multi-layered and participatory governance frameworks, temporally and contextually sensitive policy instruments, as well as data-driven monitoring systems to align local green economy initiatives with broader EU strategies such as the European Green Deal or Sustainable Development Goals. Results provide both conceptual and practical contributions toward an ever-growing literature about sustainable urban policy plus governance within a European context.