In Catalonia, towns and cities were historically integrated into nature through local agriculture and open ties with neighbouring lands. However, through the process of urban growth and concentration, which sped up with industrialisation, nature was gradually abandoned as a reference point for urban environments. Rapid, uncontrolled growths, vehicle dominance, etc. added to the general deterioration of the environment, which reached its most worrying point in the final decades of the past century. This is also when a profound sense of eco-awareness began to awaken in Catalan society.