NEWS

         

Metropolis will provide greater support to the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation as a result of the official visit of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government to our Secretariat General, last Friday in Barcelona. Headed by the Vice-Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr Cai Chaolin, the official delegation counted on the presence of high officials from the Foreign Affairs Office, the Aerotropolis development district, and the Tourism department. They met the Metropolis Secretariat General team, as part of a broader program of visits in Europe.

This year, the 3rd edition of the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation will take place, and Metropolis welcomes cities accross the world are welcome to apply to this prestigious prize, which aims to promote and capitalize on good practices in urban management and centers of excellence around the world.

The visit was a great opportunity to reaffirm the role of Guangzhou as one of our most active members: besides hosting the Regional Secretariat for Asia and the Pacific, the city drives the Urban Innovation Community and its Mayor, Mr Guohui Wen, is one of Metropolis' co-presidents.

During the meeting in Barcelona, the Secretary General Felip Roca reaffirmed his wish to spread and replicate among all Metropolis Regional Secretariats the work which is being performed by the Regional Secretariat for Asia and the Pacific, in order to reactivate our membership worldwide and encourage other big cities and metropolitan regions to join our association. 

Another topic of discussion was the initiative Sustainable Airport Areas, in which the Director General of Guangzhou's Aerotropolis Development District, Mr Sun, was particularly interested.The Secretary General strongly encouraged Guangzhou to join this collaborative project that is led by Île-de-France and already counts on the participation of Atlanta, Barcelona, Beijing, Guarulhos, Incheon and Shanghai.