Vitoria-Gasteiz, a regional capital of northern Spain, has made great progress in greening a traditional urban environment. The "Green Belt", a semi-natural green area partially reclaimed from degraded areas, surrounds the centre, ensuring its entire population of almost a quarter of a million people lives within 300 metres of an open green space. Numerous measures are in place to assist and increase biodiversity and ecosystem services. Flora and fauna are monitored and habitat fragmentation is reduced wherever possible.