World Metropolitan Day
Beyond Urban: How Nature Can Transform Metropolises
Thank you for joining us on World Metropolitan Day 2023 in Istanbul, hosted by Marmara Municipalities Union in collaboration with Metropolis and UN-Habitat, to explore how nature-based solutions enhance the resilience of our metropolises!
The title of this year’s World Metropolitan Day is "Beyond Urban: How Nature Can Transform Metropolises". Climate change, natural disasters, and environmental inequalities pose serious threats to the lives and livelihoods of millions of people living in metropolitan areas worldwide. What if we could use nature as a source of inspiration and innovation to solve challenges related to natural disasters and climate change? Mayors and metropolitan leaders from around the world gathered on 7 October in Istanbul to share their visionary insights on creating greener, healthier, and more resilient metropolitan spaces.
About the Event
Cities are facing many challenges, from pollution and flooding to health and inequality issues. But what if we could use nature as a source of inspiration and innovation to solve these problems? That's the idea behind “The Power of Nature in Our Metropolises”, the theme of this year’s World Metropolitan Day. This 7 October, mayors and metropolitan leaders from around the world gathered in Istanbul to share how nature can transform our metropolises into more livable places.
This culminating World Metropolitan Day event is part of the Marmara Urban Forum (MARUF), a biennial international urban forum organized by the Marmara Municipalities Union in Istanbul on 4-7 October. MARUF aims to address the issues and opportunities facing cities today and to share and scale up good practices in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. During the three days before the World Metropolitan Day event on 7 October, MARUF23 focused on the power of nature in metropolises and hold various discussions on nature-based solutions with the participation of local, national and international leaders.
Participants from all over the world took this opportunity to join global and local leaders for an inspiring event that showcased visionary solutions for creating metropolises that are in harmony with their ecosystems. In "Beyond Urban: How Nature Can Transform Metropolises", we had a chance to hear mayors’ insights on how nature can create greener, healthier and happier cities. We also discovered how Turkish cities are learning from the recent earthquakes in the south of Türkiye to protect the most vulnerable communities and build resilient cities that can cope with uncertainty. We celebrated nature's power in our metropolises and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient urban future.
For more information: www.worldmetropolitanday.org
Objectives of the Event
● To increase public awareness of the challenges and risks that urban areas face due to disasters and climate change.
● To promote nature-based solutions as effective and innovative ways to address urban challenges and enhance well-being.
● To create a space for networking and collaboration among local, national and international leaders.
● To contribute to the global efforts of building resilient, sustainable and inclusive cities through knowledge and experience exchange and partnership development.
Venue: Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus, Istanbul, Türkiye (hybrid event)
Language: English & Turkish (with simultaneous interpretation)
AGENDA - Saturday, 7 October 2023
10.00 – 10.15 Opening remarks
● Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá and Metropolis President
● Dr. Hasan Akgün, Mayor of Büyükçekmece
● Dr. Hasan Aydınlık, Deputy Secretary General of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality
Presented by Jordi Vaquer, Metropolis Secretary General
10.20 – 11.05 Panel 1: Global experiences and solutions for transforming metropolises
Nature is often neglected in urban planning and investment, despite its potential to help cities address urban challenges such as pollution, flooding and health inequalities. How can we change this and make nature a priority in cities’ vision and action? From building green corridors and restoring wetlands to promoting a circular economy and well-being, these solutions demonstrate how nature is not only a source of beauty but also a driver of change in our metropolises. In this panel, city and metropolitan leaders shared how they are redesigning their cities and strengthening their ties with rural areas to enhance environmental sustainability and reduce their ecological footprint.
● Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá
● Issa Kassis, Mayor of Ramallah
● Elisenda Alamany, Vice President of International Relations and Digitalisation, Metropolitan Area of Barcelona
Moderated by Antonella Contin, Research Associate at the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies at the University of Politecnico di Milano
11.10 – 11.55 Panel 2: The metropolis as a territorial solution to urban challenges
Metropolitan governance is a vital approach that enables cities to coordinate policies and actions across different levels and sectors. However, metropolitan governance is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Each territory has its own specific characteristics and needs. This diversity needs to be accounted for to ensure that all inhabitants benefit from metropolisation. This panel explored how cities are using a territorial approach to urban challenges.
● Yahya R. A. Alsarraj, Mayor of Gaza
● Ana Cristina Wanzeler, Deputy Secretary of São Paulo
● Taufiq Zahidur Rahman, Advisor to the Mayor, Dhaka North City Corporation
Moderated by Rafael Forero, Policy, Governance and Metropolitan Expert at UN-Habitat
12.00 – 12.45 Global perspectives
This session featured a lively discussion among local and metropolitan leaders who offer their insights on the topics covered by the previous panels and their experiences in leading their communities in a changing world.
●Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá
● Issa Kassis, Mayor of Ramallah
● Elisenda Alamany, Vice President of International Relations and Digitalisation, Metropolitan Area of Barcelona
● Yahya R. A. Alsarraj, Mayor of Gaza
● Ana Cristina Wanzeler, Deputy Secretary of São Paulo
● Taufiq Zahidur Rahman, Advisor to the Mayor, Dhaka North City Corporation
Moderated by Laura Valdés,Head of Policy at Metropolis
12.50 – 13.00 Wrap-up of the World Metropolitan Day
by Jordi Vaquer, Metropolis Secretary General
13.00 – 13.10 Closing remarks
by M. Cemil Arslan, Marmara Municipalities Union Secretary General
About Marmara Municipalities Union
Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU) is Türkiye's largest regional Local Government Association with over 180 members from the Marmara Region. MMU operates in 11 cities, including five metropolises and the megacity of Istanbul. MMU was founded in 1975 and promotes agreement and collaboration among local governments of different political parties. It also represents municipalities internationally and works on diverse urban issues.
About World Metropolitan Day
World Metropolitan Day is a global campaign that celebrates the diversity of metropolises. It aims to foster cooperation and dialogue among different levels of government, civil society, academia and the private sector to address the common challenges and opportunities of urbanisation. World Metropolitan Day is held every year on 7 October, to commemorate the adoption of the Montreal Declaration on Metropolitan Areas in 2015. Since 2018, Metropolis and UN-Habitat have been leading this initiative in the framework of Urban October, a month dedicated to promoting a better urban future for all.
