Over the past year, the MECOG-CE project partners tested and adapted the selected best practices through pilot actions, addressing key metropolitan challenges such as mobility, governance, spatial planning, and economic development. On 26-28 February 2025, they gathered in Berlin for a three-day meeting to evaluate the outcomes of these pilot actions, shape new solutions, and discuss the strategy for strengthening metropolitan cooperation and governance. Hosted by the Joint Spatial Planning Department Berlin-Brandenburg, a project partner, the meeting offered a series of presentations and discussions focused on advancing the MECOG-CE project.
The event was officially launched by Manuela Hahn, Head of the Joint Spatial Planning Department Berlin-Brandenburg, who warmly welcomed participants and stated: “For the Capital Region Berlin-Brandenburg, cross-border cooperation and governance are essential. After almost 30 years of Joint Spatial Planning, we look back on a long success story, but we need impulses to improve steadily in the future. That’s why MECOG-CE and its results, on new solutions and later on new strategies, are so important for us.”
Partners from Brno, Berlin-Brandenburg, Ostrava, Stuttgart, Turin, and Warsaw presented the results of their pilot actions and worked on refining the selected best tools to enhance metropolitan cooperation and governance. During the subsequent interactive workshop, all participants discussed the proposals for new solutions based on the results of the pilot actions. Five new solutions focus on cooperation in metropolitan areas, emphasizing local food production, public transport coordination, developing prototyping solutions for current metropolitan challenges and strengthening metropolitan cooperation through stakeholder involvement in strategic planning processes via surveys and workshops. These innovative solutions are now being developed, each improving a specific tool to strengthen territorial development and address metropolitan challenges.
Another key workshop focused on the presentation of the first version of the Strategy for strengthening metropolitan cooperation and governance in Central Europe. Project partners discussed its structure and the form of the action plans aimed at enhancing cooperation and governance in their metropolitan areas. The Strategy is the third and final milestone of the project.
Additionally, each partner provided updates on recent developments in metropolitan issues and key metropolitan activities beyond the project. The meeting also included a voluntary site visit to Tempelhof Airport/Airfield, where partners visited the THF-Tower and attended a guided tour exploring the historical and architectural background of the site. Another site visit to Berlin City Models/Stadtmodelleprovided further opportunities for networking and informal discussions on metropolitan topics.
With valuable insights gained from the meeting in Berlin, project partners will now concentrate on finalizing new solutions in their metropolitan areas, refining the metropolitan cooperation strategy, developing action plans to enhance metropolitan cooperation, and fostering deeper cooperation across all participating metropolitan areas.
The project is co-funded by the European Union funds, specifically the European Regional Development Fund, through the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE transnational and interregional cooperation programme. More information about this project including publicity can be found here.
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