At that time, the surrounding of the town and especially the two valleys that give it shape are completely degraded: rivers polluted with direct waste, riversides abandoned and subject to erosive processes, forgotten deteriorated orchards, solitary dangerous areas, progressive loss of historical, artistic, cultural and traditional values, spotsof uncontrolled waste and growing urban threat.The Town Council limit their actions to keep the traditional gardens, with no other aims. The Regional Government still hasno environmental office in Segovia. The contact with the Central Government is scarce. 

A movement emerges of citizens worried about the environment and the landscape, assembling associations for environment preservation with a powerful association of University students in Segovia Parallelly, in the Polit.cnica University in Madrid, there is a working team that, at the guidance of Doctor Ángel Ramos -a prestigious scientist in the field of planning on an ecological basis-, starts building a methodology for the planning of the preservation and improvement of the environment and landscape in towns. Several contacts, exchanges and discussions take place between the members of this University Department, Segovia.s TownCouncil and the groups mentioned. 

The result is:Promotion of important environmental activities in Segovia. Due to their relevance must be mentioned the "Cuida lo Tuyo" ("Take care of what is yours"), of a local character, and the Jornadas del Paisaje (Lectures on Landscape), with national and international scope. (See Annex I). Participation of people from the University Department related to the mentioned citizen movement in the beginning of the elaboration of the Special Planning of the Town and in the analysis of environmental impact. (See Annex I)Elaboration of the Doctoral Thesis 2 Entorno y Paisaje de Ciudades Históricas. Segovia. Caminos para su conservación" (Surrounding and Landscape of Historical Towns. Segovia. Ways to their Preservation) , which provides answers to the problems of natural areas in towns and their surrounding, centering on Segovia, published by the Ministry of Public Works and Urbanism in 1.990, and provides a basis for the future "Green Plan" (Plan Verde).

All this makes Segovia.s town Council aware of the need to attend these growing social demands, most urgent since they deal with patrimony threatened by irreversible destruction. As a result, aware also of the fact that they deal with an urban ecosystem in great need and with social, economical and institutional limitations, the Town Council redacts and approves Segovia.s Green Plan (Plan Verde de Segovia) in a plenary meeting in1991and thus assumes the leadership of this initiative.

The Plan highlights values such as then atural "capital" (hydrological and ecological systems, bio-diversity...), the an tropic landscape (historical, artistic and cultural values, traditional cultivation practises,...), the promotion of there creational-educational use of the environment (leisure, walks, environmental education,...) and the use of its potential as  ôgreen lungö generating positive synergies between urban and rural elements.This Plan proposes an action programe for the protection, restoration and adjusting of the urban surrounding (integral river sanitation, recuperation of agricultural customs -orchards-, recuperation of riversides and slopes, improvement of town sights, conditioning of open-air areas for their enjoyment, recuperation of historic and artistic aspects...) making recreational and educational aspects compatible with landscape, ecological, environmental and productive aspects, searching also for their integration in the urban framework.

Due to the shortage of means, a division into"homogeneus units" was attempted, in order to plan the action, searching for a global treatment of the problems and thinking of the sustainability of the actions.Starting from the aptitude (reception capacity) of the different areas and from the compatibility of the future actions, between themselves or with the landscape, the units were valued according to: Vegetation quality and land uses.

Cultural and natural singularities.Landscape aspects.Recreational potential.This valuation was the basis for the priority of the initial actions and projects.It became clear then that it was necessary to distinguish different action ôblocksö in order to start acting and obtain the pertinent technical, economic and administrative help. 

Thus, together with the central action programme of the Green Plan, the need was noted to elaborate and develop three other parallel programmes: Integral sanitation of the water courses: basic for giving the valleys their life and use back. Making citizens aware and sensitive searching for their environmental education and their participation: key to the success, understanding and enjoyment of the actions by the community.Integral management of the woodland: fundamental since the tree is understood as a basic union element between Man and Nature, as an integrating element of the urban framework with the surrounding.

After the approbation of the Plan, the pertinent action projects have been taken into practice, the criteria for intervention being the following: Team work for the different subjects.Greatest adaptation to public property, focusing on the indispensable actions when private property.Environmental design: based on materials, colours, volumes and shapes harmonious with the environment, besides the use of autochthonous vegetation.Integral perspective of the actions, taking into account ecological, cultural, traditional, landscape,... aspects.Immediate and continuous maintenance of the recovered areas as a guarantee of their sustainability, based on the recuperation of traditional trades (stonemasons, horticulturists, gardeners, ...).