It is a medium size agglomeration, with two relatively dense cores, close suburban belts and peri-urban areas, faced with significant geographical and environmental constraints. Comparable regions face the same set of issues regarding maintaining natural or preserved hinterlands, resolving competition and tensions among land uses, engaging citizens in complex matters that do not have simple solutions, and in constructing appropriate local policies. Even though there are always issues that are specific to any area, three main topics that are also at stake in many places can be identified.