World Metropolitan Day 2023
“For too long, we’ve thought of cities as almost the opposite of nature.
Now, especially with the climate crisis, what we need is to turn nature into our ally.”
Jordi Vaquer, Secretary General of Metropolis at World Metropolitan Day 2023 in Istanbul
Global observance in Istanbul
World Metropolitan Day 2023 was hosted by Marmara Municipalities Union, in the framework of the Marmara Urban Forum (MARUF).
On 7 October, over 240 participants gathered to hear from mayors and representatives from metropolises from across the world—about how we can create greener, healthier, and more resilient metropolitan spaces.
In the face of growing threats from climate change, natural disasters, and environmental inequalities, now is the time for cities to maximise the potential nature-based solutions to manage climate challenges.
Metropolises are ready to rise to these challenges, but we have to do so together – by sharing innovations and solutions across city boundaries.
Key speakers
Issa Kassis, Mayor of Ramallah
Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá
Yahya R. Sarraj, Mayor of Gaza
Elisenda Alamany, Vice President of International Relations and Digitalisation, Metropolitan Area of Barcelona
Hasan Aydınlık, Deputy Secretary General of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality
Balamir Gündoğdu, Secretary-General of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality
Taufiq Zahidur Rahman, Policy and Planning Adviser to the Mayor, Dhaka North
Hear more from Claudia López
Metropolis President and Mayor of Bogotá
For World Metropolitan Day 2023, cities across the world shared how they are harnessing nature-based solutions.
Towards the institutionalisation of Argentinian Metropolitan Areas
This event explored how global growth & transformation of urban areas impacts Argentina
Bilbao committed to ensuring nature takes a strategic place in the construction of their metropolis.
Presentation of the Green Infrastructure Toolkit
Barcelona, Aburrá Valley and Mexico City metropolitan areas shared conclusions from their pilot project. Read more about the event in their blog.
Governance of European Metropolitan Areas
Organised by the Council of Europe, this event focused on governance of European metropolitan areas in the Ukrainian context. Catch up on the summary and recording.
Collaborative Learning on Urban Forests as a nature-based solution in China and Europe
This event introduced the outcomes of the CLEARING HOUSE project, a Sino-European research project on urban forests function as a nature-based solution.
The role of women leaders in local government: A vision for progress
Paradiplomacia.org hosted a webinar to share and recognise the hard work carried out by metropolitan International Relations offices led by women.
Guangzhou lit up the Canton Tower, in support of World Metropolitan Day. Find out more about how Guangzhou promotes innovative urban projects.
Institut Metròpoli (Barcelona) reaffirmed their commitment to promote sustainable metropolises by bridging the gap between knowledge and action.