Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona

The ‘Metropolitan Forum for Public Spaces: inclusive, sustainable and safe cities' took place on 14 May 2019 in San Salvador (El Salvador), an event organised by the Mayors' Council of the San Salvador Metropolitan Area and its Planning Office COAMSS/OPAMSS and the AMB, within the framework of the project on public spaces which is currently being implemented in the metropolitan area of San Salvador.

Throughout the day, the forum focused on issues such as "Which metropolis do we want?", "What should metropolises be like in order to guarantee everyone's human rights?" and "Which are the strategic changes required to progress towards the right to the city?".

The AMB's presence in this event was part of the technical visit from its International Cooperation Service to carry out different activities and monitor ongoing projects related to waste management, public space and mobility taking place in the metropolitan area of San Salvador. Two areas were visited in metropolitan municipalities where there had been an intervention to incorporate equal, inclusive, safe and sustainable spaces as part of a project which has now come to an end.

Optimisation of resources and strategy: key elements

The different talks presented transforming experiences of public spaces in Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile. Special emphasis was placed on identifying and designing strategic interventions with scarce resources which could contribute to the progress towards a new model of city and metropolis.

The discussion panel at the end of the session reflected upon the different challenges shared between the territories, such as the identification of strategic interventions which boost changes in the model, the roles of the different actors involved in public spaces, public space governance and governability, participative processes and the incorporation of diversity and equality between men and women in the interventions.

The day before, the activity "Live the city" ("Vivir la Ciudad") took place, an event parallel to the forum which consisted in a tour around the metropolitan area of San Salvador to visit different public spaces, see the renovation of streets, parks and the old town of San Salvador and reflect upon it all.

Participation at the forum was diverse and plural thanks to the presence of representatives from public bodies, municipal councils, ministries, companies, organised civil societies and universities.