Metropolises, cities and regions

| Subject: International Relations

Celebration of World Metropolitan Day and the European Week of Regions and Cities

Image from the event

Reflecting on the challenges that metropolises face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and explaining what the AMB is doing in this respect were just some of the topics discussed in an online seminar organised in connection with World Metropolitan Day. This was not, however, the only international event in which the AMB was involved. From 5-22 October, it also took part in the European Week of Regions and Cities, the biggest annual event dedicated to regional and local policies in Europe.

World Metropolitan Day

World Metropolitan Day is celebrated on 7 October to mark the signing of the Montreal Declaration on Metropolitan Areas. Organised by the city of Montreal, one of the initiatives was an online seminar held to discuss the challenges facing metropolises as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. There, to explain what the AMB is doing in this respect, was the director of the Department of Mobility and Transport, Joan Maria Bigas. The AMB's head of International Relations, Xavier Tiana, also took part in an event organised by the Metropolis Network and UN-Habitat to explain how the metropolitan administration has adapted to COVID-19 by adopting measures such as the ApropAMB Plan and the new Mobility Agreement. Finally, the vice-president of Strategic Planning, Jordi Martí, introduced the Metropolitan Strategic Plan's conference on rethinking the metropolis of Barcelona.

European Week of Regions and Cities

The AMB was also present in the 18th edition of this initiative. Organised by the European Commission, this is an annual event in which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance.

As part of the Europe for Citizens Programme's European project CAMELOT, in which the AMB is a partner, together with other European metropolitan areas, Xavier Tiana presented the ERDF agreement and the green projects currently being implemented: inland waterways, installation of photovoltaic panels and LED lights on ring roads, low-emission zone ZBE Rondes de Barcelona and Bicivia.

The second talk was given as part of the European project METRO ESPON, in which Tiana explained how COVID-19 has affected the management of ERDF Metropolitan and other EU-financed projects.

Lastly, the head of Sustainability for the Department of Ecology, Ana Romero, discussed the AMB's strategy for local climate change adaptation, in a presentation coordinated by members of the project LIFE Metro Adapt. In this presentation, she analysed the fundamental role of European metropolitan cities in defining strategies for combating climate change.

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