A total of 76 shared examples of best practices, 17 professional publications, methodological materials, or action plans—including the landmark Strategy for Strengthening Metropolitan Cooperation and Governance —and more than 300 people involved in countless activities. All of this was achieved through the international MECOG-CE project, which the City of Brno led for three years. The icing on the cake of its achievements was the final international conference, which took place on March 19 in Brno and culminated in the ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation among the project partners.
The conference, “Solutions for strong metropolitan cooperation and governance: Metropolitan areas for European cohesion and growth,” took place at the Museum of Applied Arts and presented the main results of the three-year project. The main topics were tools for strengthening metropolitan cooperation—integrated public transport, support for local food production, participatory strategic planning, the development of prototype solutions to various metropolitan challenges, and stronger stakeholder engagement. Participants discussed practical tools and approaches to metropolitan cooperation and the future of metropolitan areas from both Czech and European perspectives, and took part in thematic workshops.
A key moment of the conference was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation by representatives of the nine partner cities, metropolitan areas, and research institutions involved in the project (see below). By signing the memorandum, they confirmed their interest in continuing their cooperation even after the project ends.
“Metropolitan areas are the engine of economic growth, innovation, and quality of life, but their role is still insufficiently reflected in European and national policies. By signing this Memorandum of Cooperation, we confirm that the collaboration established through the MECOG-CE project will continue even after its official conclusion. Our cities will continue to support a stronger position for metropolitan areas and cooperate in exchanging experiences, as well as, for example, in promoting the project’s results and in applying for further international projects,” said Martin Příborský, member of the Brno City Assembly responsible for strategic development and metropolitan cooperation.
The MECOG-CE project (Strengthening Metropolitan Cooperation and Governance in Central Europe) ran from April 2023 to March 2026 and focused on promoting metropolitan cooperation and governance. We consider these areas to be important dimensions of territorial development in Central Europe, yet they are often overlooked. Thanks to its focus and scope of activities, the project was exceptional in the Central European context.
Its goal was to identify effective tools and examples of good practice for strengthening metropolitan cooperation and to share experiences among metropolitan areas in Central Europe. Selected approaches were subsequently adapted to individual metropolitan areas, tested through pilot actions, and further developed into new solutions that were then implemented in practice.
“Thanks to the MECOG-CE project, for example, the topic of supporting local production resonated with us; the experiences with blue-green infrastructure in Stuttgart were also very beneficial for Brno,” described Markéta Vaňková, Mayor of Brno. “Thanks to leading this international project, Brno has focused more on developing metropolitan cooperation, and this does not end with the project. This is evidenced not only by the newly signed memorandum but also by our use of the integrated territorial investment tool, through which we support projects of strategic importance for Brno and surrounding municipalities. These are the results that absolutely everyone encounters on a daily basis—new transit hubs, bike paths, daycare centers, or the extension of tram lines,” added the mayor.
The MECOG-CE project connected six metropolitan areas—Berlin-Brandenburg, Brno, Ostrava, Stuttgart, Turin, and Warsaw—with academic and research institutions and several associated partners representing ministries or international institutions. Brno served as the lead partner in the project, becoming the first city in the Czech Republic to coordinate an Interreg Central Europe programme project in this role.
“Our goal was to raise the voice of metropolitan areas at both the national and European levels and to increase awareness of these issues among relevant institutions. We wanted to strengthen the role of metropolitan areas and regions in shaping policies that support sustainable development,” added Mayor Vaňková.
Over the course of three years, the project produced 17 official outputs, 32 articles were published, and more than 300 experts and stakeholders participated in its activities through the online community. The project also included mapping best practices in the field of metropolitan cooperation and governance—a total of 76 were identified. Among the project’s main results are, for example, the creation of a Common Metropolitan Vision, the implementation of pilot actions testing selected best practices, the development of six new practical solutions for metropolitan areas in the areas of mobility, participation, and food cooperation, as well as a Strategy for Strengthening Metropolitan Cooperation and Governance in Central Europe and action plans prepared for all partner metropolitan areas.
The project also facilitated the exchange of experiences among individual metropolitan areas. In addition to seven international meetings, the partners also organized a seminar at the European Parliament. It was clearly stated there that the role of metropolitan areas, which account for up to 70% of the EU’s GDP, is irreplaceable for strengthening the European Union’s competitiveness.
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