Since the turn of the millennium, the Peruvian protected-area system has provided regional governments with the possibility of initiating and managing Regional Conservation Areas, a category that complements the system of national protected areas. Regional capitals and other Andean cities welcome this opportunity, and increasingly use this instrument to safeguard important ecosystem services. The city of Huancayo and the Cordillera Huaytapallana are a case in point that underlines the need to integrate cities and protected areas in planning and policy making, and to promote conflict-free development along the urban-rural continuum.