MATRUSCHKA aimed at strengthening the capacity of local authorities and developing their city planning process. It contributed to the development of a solid foundation within local authorities upon which long-term planning decisions could be made to support sustainable development. Both EU and Russian cities either initiated or further elaborated their Integrated Management Systems around a chosen theme. Achievements: In the project cities selected a theme and started a stakeholder involvement process at a suitable level of involvement – going beyond the legally required level of involvement. During the project the partners carried out a baseline review and target setting with increased stake-holder involvement. This developed the process of stakeholder involvement and revealed the necessity of capacity building among local authorities.Improved communication which was a focus of the project was crucial to guarantee a smooth information flow in the municipality between stakeholders. MATRUSCHKA helped cities to address all dimensions of sustainable development by integrating participatory approach into planning processes. This was done through exchanging know-how and increasing networking.The project provided a Good Practice Database and Stakeholder Involvement Toolkit to all cities/municipalities to use. The Good Practice Database helped local authorities in regards to sustainable development through gathering good practices and tools for their further use. It offers a unique platform for benchmarking in the Baltic Sea Region.The Stakeholder Involvement Toolkit became a comprehensive guide for the local authorities on how to include different stakeholders in the decision making process. Using the toolkit, published in English and Russian, the cities/municipalities are able to increase the stability of their work for sustainable development.