The contribution of all stakeholders involved in urban planning procedures involves necessarily the understanding of present and future needs of the society. A will to act, with social, economic and environmental awareness in a sustainable balance, is also necessary. The recognition of the existence of social inequity in some of the existing laws and rates, which are of particular relevance in moments of social discomfort, such as the present in Portugal, enhances the urgent need to review the existing procedures and the socialization of the different state service rates. These revised rates will be dependent upon the definition of a new regimen, more transparent and better shielded to corruptive activities, making them more unbiased and fair.

It is necessary to counterbalance the inequity that has been introduced over time. This will be achieved through the promotion of new ways of designing, new urbanization and building methods and new taxing rules that respond to overall sustainability concerns and at the same time promote educational knowledge. The Implementation of these measures will have as much effectiveness as higher the degree of development and acceptance on a global scale.

The main aim of this work is to define new rates and procedures in urban planning operations. This process is performed in a way that it will allow the harmonization of national laws with European Directives to make possible, for example, the use of theories like as the Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) of carbon and to find a sustainable compromise solution in all its aspects. To achieve this commitment, the mechanisms should be simplified, new limits should be defined and the territorial boundaries at the national space should be eliminated. This process, however, should be developed without affecting considerably the expectations created in the stakeholders involved in this process, affecting a sector of vital importance in maintaining the balance between the three dimensions of sustainability.