On Thursday May 22 and Wednesday May 23 has been held the International Congress of World Metropolis, coordinated by AMB with the support of MedCities, Metropolis, CIDOB, UNHABITAT ALLAs Casa America Catalunya, UCLG and IBEI, gathering almost 30 world conurbations and more than 200 attendants, between international experts, metropolitan representatives, urban managers and technical staff, at the Francesca Bonnemaison Hall of Barcelona.

Alfred Bosch, vice-president of the International Department of the AMB and vice-president of MedCities, stated that the metropolitan Barcelona wants to have a key role in core policies and issues derived from the last Habitat III congress held in Quito last October, 2016. He also claimed the weight of the great conurbations to be recognized. «This international congress must contribute to the debate in two main issues: sustainability and social equality», was his conclusion.

The former president of Colombia, Ernesto Samper, was also present, and affirmed that the cities demand to have its own voice in the world because they deal with the problems of XXI century. He defended they should be considered «city states or city regions» and not only simple municipalities.

Key elements of the metropolitan agenda

The key elements of the metropolitan agenda, materialized in the road map presented, can be grouped into four domains (sustainability, urban planning, social cohesion and economic development) and two transversal dimensions: citizen participation and metropolitan governance.

In the first place, in terms of sustainability, we have the challenges derived from the climatic change, such as the rising of sea levels or the vulnerability in front of the adverse climate conditions, mobility, the lack of natural resources or the renewable energies.

In terms of urban and metropolitan planning, we advocate for the promotion of compact city models facilitating equity and appeasing the economic imbalances, thus generating social cohesion and equality among the citizens.

Precisely, the third element is social cohesion, which requires the creation of spaces of cohabitation that guarantee diversity and democratization of public spaces, as well as its security. Cohesion must be encouraged through bottom up policies: from the social tissue of the neighborhoods to the administrations and institutions.

Finally, in the sphere of local development and economic competitiveness, the metrolpolis must obtain resources, project the metropolitan brand to the world in order to attract investments, respond to economic changes and the increment of rental charges, and at the same time fight against unemployment, guarantee the security and mitigate the effects of global conflicts in urban economies.

The two transversal dimensions expressed in this institutional recognition are based on the fact that citizen participation has to be integrated and considered into metropolitan policies. The mechanisms of real participation represent a good tool for citizens in order to achieve a closer territorial management approach.

Institutional recognition of metropolitan areas Post-Habitat III, Barcelona 22-24 May 2018.

More info HERE