Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n The town of Governador Valadares went through several economic cycles throughout its history which led to the destruction of its forests and the depletion of its soil, causing poverty and stagnation. Socioeconomic indicators point out the actual stage of the town\u2019s development. In order to fully understand what its inhabitants think about this reality, two separate researches were conducted: a) with students and teachers of both public and private secondary schools to assess their social awareness regarding the environment, their attitudes, values and social practices towards Rio Doce, as well as the town\u2019s natural and cultural heritage; b) with stakeholders, opinion makers and other inhabitants to understand what they think about \u201cthe town we have\u201d and their view of a suitable future for Governador Valadares; in other words, \u201cthe town we want to have in a near future\u201d. The information gathered made it possible to make a SWOT analysis that can serve as an important basis for public policies targeting the town\u2019s sustainable development. The final goal of the current study is to make a Master Plan for the Integrated Territory Management \u2013 ITM methodology.<\/p>\n