Metropolitan Cooperation Takes Shape
On Wednesday 21st October 2026, representatives from Barcelona, Bilbao, A Coruña, Zaragoza, Málaga, Valencia, and Tarragona gathered in Cornellà de Llobregat to lay the foundations for a new interurban alliance focused on shared governance. The event, hosted at the Museu de les Aigües by the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB), marked the first formal step towards coordinated action on housing, mobility, and digital transition across major Spanish metropolitan areas. The AMB, celebrating 15 years of metropolitan governance, organised the conference 'A Metropolitan Agenda for Spanish Cities' to reflect on its own model and share insights with cities lacking equivalent structures. Unlike most of Spain, Barcelona benefits from a formal metropolitan authority with powers over strategic planning, transport, and housing policy across 36 municipalities.
Housing and Mobility in Focus
Participants agreed on ten shared priorities, with affordable housing and ecological transition at the core. The alliance aims to increase the supply of accessible housing through public-private partnerships under institutional oversight, particularly targeting younger residents. Antonio Balmón, Mayor of Cornellà and Executive Vice-President of the AMB, stressed the need for vertical construction near public transport hubs to accommodate population growth without expanding into green zones. "Where are those of us who are here, and those who are coming, going to go? To places without education, healthcare, or transport? Impossible," he said. Asier Abaunza, Delegate Councillor for Urban Planning in Bilbao, echoed this, noting that Bilbao’s urban footprint is largely exhausted. "Densifying by building upwards is good if it also allows you to free up land to gain public space, parks, or sports courts," he stated.
Shared Vision, Common Challenges
Ramon Torra, General Manager of the AMB, highlighted the necessity of metropolitan-scale public transport for decarbonisation and territorial cohesion. He pointed to ongoing work on the Metropolitan Urban Master Plan (PDUM), which envisions transforming major road corridors into walkable metropolitan avenues. The group also committed to accelerating transport electrification, expanding low-emission zones, and promoting cycling. They called for a national policy framework that recognises metropolitan realities, arguing that housing and transport cannot be planned within rigid municipal boundaries.
We cannot plan housing with the geographic limits of municipalities,
said José Manuel Lage, Councillor for Strategic Planning in A Coruña, underscoring the mismatch between administrative borders and daily life patterns. The alliance aims to ensure metropolitan representation in European funding streams and strengthen cooperation between administrations, private actors, and civil society. The next steps include formalising the network and defining joint projects.
Looking Ahead
The participating cities will continue discussions to solidify the alliance, with the goal of influencing national policy and jointly applying for EU funding. The AMB’s institutional platform at amb.cat will support ongoing collaboration.
Reported by posthabitat3.amb.cat, cronicaglobal.elespanol.com, lavanguardia.com, galiciapress.es, amb.cat, El Periódico Barcelona.
