Over the last century, urbanization and the expansion of urbanized areas beyond their original jurisdictional limits has led to large and fragmented urban systems.
Globally, the rate of urbanization and transformation of urban areas has accelerated. As major urban centers continue to attract large populations, they also tend to increase their productivity relative to that of the nation as a whole, leading to increased cultural production as well as heightened social inequity. In the context of these rapid changes, metropolises have become important centers for public and private decision making.
Equitable urban management and planning of agglomerates requires coordination among various actors within the public, private, and academic sectors, as well as international and civil society organizations across these jurisdictions. Essential to this coordination are spaces that permit a diverse set of actors to engage with one another and innovate policy solutions and outcomes.
The Metropolitan Day initiative invites cities around world to organize a working day during the first week of October that brings together local leaders from neighboring cities to discuss the challenges facing their metropolitan territories as well as techniques and strategies for implementing the New Urban Agenda.
Metropolitan Day 2019 will be held in the different metropolitan areas that choose to participate. The event will strengthen relationships among local leaders and promote knowledge transfer through technical, political, and personal connections that target continued coordination and engagement over urban challenges.
In 2018, the CIPPEC Cities Program, Metropolis and MetroHUB launched the international Metropolitan Day initiative, commemorating the Montreal Declaration on Metropolitan Areas, held on October 7, 2015, as well as the UN’s October Urbanclearing. The initiative prompted cities and metropolitan areas around the world to hold a working day event during the first week of October 2018. Local government leaders met with their peers from neighboring cities to discuss urban challenges and implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
We invite metropolises around the world to join to Metropolitan Day 2019. Please see the event proposal and guide included on this page.