Cities investing in a 'green vision' have made enormous gains in improving the quality of the environment and therefore the quality of life of their citizens. Montpellier has adopted such a vision, following the fundamental yet simple rule that eliminating or reducing the area of natural and agricultural land can no longer be regarded as the best path for urban development. The French national strategy of land use and urban planning has led to the creation of metropolitan regions, which are conceived as the strategic level at which sustainable urban development activities are planned. A range of communication tools to provide inhabitants with transparent and comprehensive information on the city's facts and figures has also been put in place over the past years. The Montpellier City Council even has a councilor for biodiversity, urban forests and the quality of public and green spaces to facilitate related policy decisions. The management and design of green spaces is the duty of a specific administrative unit, the Directorate of Landscape and Biodiversity.