Background Gallecs is a rural area on the outskirts of Barcelona. The zone, which in the 1970s was foreseen as building land for the city’s future expansion, is now meant to serve as one of the metropolitan area’s greenbelts. As is the case with many peri-urban areas in Europe, however, Gallecs is increasingly characterised by dispersed urbanisation patterns, settlements with low population densities, an inefficient use of land, and a lack of integrated and coherent territorial planning, resulting in a blurred transition between city and countryside. This phenomenon of urban sprawl, which prevails in peri-urban areas across Europe, leads to many of the city’s environmental problems being spread out to, and absorbed by, the surrounding area. These face increasing problems of road traffic, noise and air pollution, water and soil contamination, as well as very high costs of municipal service delivery. Objectives The objective of the project was to protect Gallecs from urban and industrial pressures and subsequent environmental degradation. The aim was to strengthen the area’s function as a “biological interface”, i.e. a buffer zone between the urban fringe and the countryside beyond. Improved environmental conditions were to result in a higher quality of life for the inhabitants of the areas on the outskirts of Barcelona. An integrated approach was developed with a view to achieving sustainable land-use in the area. The strategic plan comprised a series of actions to control and manage urban sprawl, as well as to mitigate its detrimental impact on the environment. Activities included initiatives in the following areas: the restoration of natural habitats, sustainable agricultural and forest management, the use of renewable energy, and environmental education. Results he LIFE project has helped to contain the fragmentation of natural landscapes and habitats in Gallecs by promoting a more rational and environmentally sustainable use of urban and peri-urban land. The pilot project has demonstrated that it is possible to achieve environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development in transition zones that face increasing pressures from settlements and industry emanating from the neighbouring city. A set of integrated and complementary measures was successfully introduced to integrate social, natural, cultural and economic factors in support of an environmentally responsible and socially just development of the area. Examples of these initiatives include: • The creation of the wetland “Humedal de Can Benito” to regulate heavy torrents of water and avoid inundations that are common in the region after spells of intense precipitation. • The strengthening of the banks of the river “Riera Seca”. • The restoration of several environmentally degraded areas, including a former motor cross circuit, through the re-planting of indigenous species and the establishment of a series of resting points. • The maintenance of the shrubs dividing agricultural fields, so as to reinstall their function as natural corridors. • The promotion of local agricultural produce and products. • The installation of water-efficient irrigation systems. • Capacity-building measures for framers. • Awareness-raising and educative activities such as guided tours, open-days, the production of an interactive CD-ROM and of the magazine L’espai, as well as the publication of the book “Paisatges de Gallecs”. Important success factors were the active participation of the population and farmers involved, as well as the affiliation of the project consortium to Fedenatur (The European Federation of Metropolitan and Periurban Natural and Rural Spaces) and to Eurosite (the largest network of organisations devoted to nature conservation management across Europe). This, and the success achieved by the project, has enabled the beneficiary to secure the backing of local citizens and to gain recognition at the local, regional and national level. This recognition was, in turn, crucial for the acquisition of financial support to continue work after the end of LIFE funding and to push for the implementation of the strategic development plan resulting from the project. This plan is the legal instrument that will enable the balanced and sustainable development of the region’s economy and environment in the coming years.