Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona

METRO is an approved project of the ESPON European programme (European Spatial Planning Observatory Network). This platform aims to promote a territorial dimension to regional development and cooperation through knowledge transfer, evidence and policy learning.

Given the differential decentralisation rates in European metropolitan areas and cities, the European Cohesion Policy, through its tools and financing sources, reaches them at different levels. That is why METRO seeks to develop a comparative study between participating partners with the objective of consolidating the literature and information available on strategic planning in cities and metropolitan areas in the context of the Cohesion Policy, in order to generate results and political recommendations to achieve socioeconomic objectives.

Among others, the study will map the state of art of metropolitan areas and cities and their interactions with Cohesion Policy, will analyse its inclusion in strategic planning documents, funding sources and types of instruments used and provide a pan-European view on results of actions implemented.

Overall, METRO aims to promote the integration of metropolitan areas and cities into national and regional priorities in order to achieve the Cohesion Policy's objectives and to contribute to the recognition of local and metropolitan authorities in its setting and management.