1. Challenges • Migration (of young people) from rural to urban areas • Provision of services in rural areas • Mobility choices in rural areas • Urban use of rural areas, valuation of (ecosystem) services in rural landscapes • Municipalities not communicating with each other and therefore competing instead of co-operating • Urban sprawl and development of ”adaptive” spatial planning

2. Opportunities • Promotion of quality of life (both in urban and rural areas) • New function of farmers • New rural lifestyles and co-operation • Developing integrated systems (i.e. production-waste) • Sharing on existing good practices on different urban-rural related developments

3. Possible actions • Supporting BSR cities and regions to include Sustainable Development to their overall and sector specific strategies and supporting cities and regions to prepare local sustainability programs and action plans. • Promoting actions and spreading good practices on sustainable urban and regional mobility plans and concrete long-term regional public transport development programs. • Building a networking of organizations interested in urban forestry • Translate good practices from New Bridges and Ecoregion to be used in rural areas