Background Local policies are normally managed in a fragmented manner, with decisions being taken at municipal, provincial or regional level. Environmental decision-making seldom involves citizens in phases of planning. A new approach is called for, involving environmental planning management covering territorial areas with similar environmental and land-use characteristics. Objectives The project meant to involve 19 municipalities in three provinces in the Pianalto area of Italy. It targeted four sectors - eco-building, sustainable transport, waste management and natural landscape protection - and planned to use incentives, training and raising of public awareness to maximise opportunities for exchange of knowledge between municipal councils, citizens, associations and employers. More environmentally advanced municipalities were to be used as best practice models as part of an initiative to achieve better results across all the municipalities involved. A sustainable development plan for Pianalto was also foreseen. Sustainable development principles were to be disseminated through multi-level information campaigns. Results The project partially achieved its objectives. The Pianalto Sustainable Development Agency – AGESPI – was established as planned and instigated a number of actions to promote the LIFE project (e.g. creation of a website and logos, organisation of two Pianalto Days). Located in the municipality of Poirino, the agency is open 1-2 hours every working day. AGESPI drew up a multi-year action plan for sustainable development which envisages the implementation of a variety of projects in four strategic macro-areas: 1. Ecobuilding 2. Waste management 3. Sustainable transport 4. Rural landscape. A total of 27 pilot projects were started by the beneficiary, of which nine were completed, covering three of the fours strategic macro-areas (sustainable buildings, waste management and rural landscape). The completed projects included: The application of an Energy Appendix to the Buildings Regulations of 10 municipalities to improve the energy efficiency of new or renovated buildings Public buildings project: 14 public buildings were analysed and technical advice offered on reducing fossil fuel consumption Public lighting project: each municipality was presented with a report on its public lighting, including advice on actions needed to improve energy efficiency A manual on Green Public Procurement was created for internal use within the municipalities All events organised by AGESPI followed the guidelines of a manual it created on sustainable events management To reduce waste created during fairs, the beneficiary purchased 3 900 melamine plates, 1 500 glasses and related steel cutlery. These were successfully used at the second Pianalto Day in June 2007 and are now being used in rotation by the Pianalto municipalities Two two-hour lessons on the themes of energy saving at home, good environmental practices, tradition and folklore, and safeguarding of the rural environment took place at 55 schools in the region The municipalities signed an agreement protocol on 1 September 2005 for the cultivation of hemp to produce insulating material to be used in the construction and renovation of public buildings. Hemp cultivation was an important activity in Pianalto for 400 years A two-year project to monitor the spread of amphibians in the Pianalto territory was conducted in 2006 and 2007. Nine species were identified and a list of actions drawn up to help municipalities encourage the spread of Pelobates fuscus (Common spadefoot). A further three actions were started during the LIFE project and completed by other actors. Four projects were partially completed while a further four will be carried out in the near future by AGESPI as ‘after LIFE actions’. Thanks to the LIFE project, 20 municipalities started cooperating on environmental themes and share now a new territorial identity, based on the valorisation and conservation of the environmental resources. In addition, the project involved citizens and entrepreneurs, thereby increasing the public awareness regarding the cooperation among municipalities, citizens and entrepreneurs in the Pianalto area.