Background The Cypriot planning system does not adequately measure or quantitatively monitor development needs or problems, and, up until the country’s accession to the EU in 2004, it did not systematically assess their impacts on the urban environment. As a result, decisions have not always been based on planning criteria and parameters alone but often partly resulted from pressures from individual local authorities for enhanced development. The unnecessary and often environmentally damaging extension of development zones has led to a number of environmental problems in urban areas in Cyprus, including air and water pollution, noise pollution, traffic problems and urban sprawl. A new approach to urban planning is therefore essential, incorporating the principles of sustainable development in a quantifiable and more transparent way. Objectives The URBANGUARD project had the aim to facilitate the incorporation of urban sustainability indicators into the spatial urban planning decision-making process. The specific objectives of the project were to: Define local urban spatial development policies and goals; Co-ordinate the various competent government departments to promote a mutually agreed integrated indicator scheme; Select appropriate local urban sustainability indicators applicable to the cities of Cyprus; Establish monitoring and reporting tools and capabilities for urban sustainability indicators; Carry out a pilot study in which the developed indicator system was implemented and tested; Disseminate project results. The project’s overall goal was to produce indicators that will be utilised by planners and authorities responsible for preparing and reviewing spatial development plans, by local administrators, by stakeholder organisations and other special interest groups making suggestions for plan reviews, as well as by the wider public. The availability of indicators relevant to the sustainability of urban planning will facilitate the incorporation of urban sustainability parameters into the spatial planning process in Cyprus. Furthermore, it will improve the tools that enable a more productive form of public participation and a higher level of governance. Results The URBANGUARD project created the necessary capabilities and system tools to be used for monitoring and reporting urban sustainability indicators, and also facilitated their application in the urban policy decision-making process. Key achievements of the project included: Acquisition of knowledge on indicator applications; Development of a set of national sustainability indicators; Creation of the URBANGUARD planning analysis tool; Transfer of skills to urban policy stakeholders; Production of the URBANGUARD system guide: A guide to the use of the URBANGUARD indicator methodology sheets and GIS tool has been drawn up as a key deliverable of the project. It is intended to be used as a manual for the future implementation of the URBANGUARD system in the monitoring process for development plans in the urban areas of Cyprus. The dissemination plan included several awareness-raising and training events, which aimed to inform planning process stakeholders on: The concept of sustainability with regard to spatial planning and the territorial aspects of urban development; The use of sustainability indicators; Evaluating and interpreting indicator information; Applying methodology sheets and metadata forms; Applicating the URBANGUARD tool; The use and interpretation of indicator resultsIn addition to training workshops, dissemination activities also included the creation of a website, the preparation of publications and brochures for distribution to stakeholders and the general public and the organisation of a conference and information day. These dissemination activities were successful not only in informing the stakeholders but also in achieving general consensus on the use of URBANGUARD tool as well as acceptance of the selected sustainability indicators. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section). Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).