WUF13 presents Barcelona's metropolitan governance experience in addressing housing crisis
Baku, May 22, AZERTAC
A panel session titled "Metropolitan Governance for Affordable Housing and Inclusive Territorial Development," held as part of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), featured a presentation on the experience of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area in utilizing metropolitan governance to address the housing crisis.
Eva García Chueca, a representative of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, spoke in her presentation about the critical role of metropolitan governance in combating the housing crisis and climate change.
She noted during her speech that the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, which unites 36 municipalities, is home to more than 3.4 million residents in an area of just 636 square kilometers. Although the area covers only 2 percent of Catalonia's territory, 43 percent of the region's population resides here, and more than half of the region's GDP is generated within this zone. From this perspective, implementing governance in a unified and integrated manner holds exceptional importance. She stated that housing policy in modern cities cannot be isolated from other sectors and must be planned in tandem with transportation, public services, employment, and urban development.
The presentation highlighted that distributing opportunities across various centers within a polycentric city model both reduces the burden on transportation and improves the quality of life for city residents. Under this model, opportunities are not confined to a single center but are instead distributed across 16 different hubs throughout the territory, which minimizes long-distance commuting and boosts the overall quality of life.
In conclusion, Chueca also emphasized the significance of the ongoing international process, carried out alongside partners from Latin America, Africa, and Europe, to elevate metropolitan governance onto the global agenda.
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