METREX 30th Anniversary Conference
11-13 November 2026 , Metropolitan City of Rome Capital
Connecting Metropolitan Europe: innovative pathways to governing metropolitan territories
Who governs what falls between our institutions?
From mobility and climate resilience to food systems, housing, territorial intelligence and urban–rural relations, metropolitan authorities are increasingly called upon to address challenges that do not fit neatly within traditional administrative or sectoral boundaries.
This question will provide a common thread throughout the three-day programme, connecting the discussions of METREX Expert and Network Groups, the experience of individual participants, Rome’s metropolitan challenges, and the reflections on METREX’s past and future.
Why Rome, why now?
As METREX celebrates its 30th anniversary, the Rome Conference offers an opportunity to reflect on three decades of metropolitan cooperation while asking a forward-looking question: what role should metropolitan authorities play in governing the transformations reshaping Europe?
Mobility provides an important entry point, but the challenges facing metropolitan areas extend far beyond transport. Climate adaptation, digital transformation, demographic change, territorial competitiveness, housing pressures, food systems, urban–rural relations and expectations around quality of life are increasingly interconnected.
These interdependencies are particularly visible in metropolitan and peri-urban territories, where people, economic activities, services, environmental systems and mobility flows routinely cross administrative and institutional boundaries. Yet policies and governance arrangements often remain organised within separate sectors and jurisdictions.
The Metropolitan City of Rome Capital offers a particularly relevant setting in which to explore this challenge. Through European projects including BIO-INTEL-MOB, PROWD and FOODGaP, and through a portfolio of policy instruments currently being developed or reviewed — including the Metropolitan Strategic Plan, the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, the Climate and Energy Strategy, the Metropolitan Agenda for Sustainable Development, and urban–rural and food governance initiatives — Rome is confronting many of these interconnections in practice.
The Conference will therefore place Rome’s questions and policy instruments on the table for peer exchange, collaborative learning and collective reflection.
At the same time, the 30th anniversary allows METREX to turn this practical discussion into a wider political reflection on the role metropolitan authorities should play in the next phase of European territorial development.
One conference, three interconnected outputs
The programme is organised around three complementary strands, running throughout the three days and converging in the closing session on Friday. Together, they give the Conference a political, practical and commemorative dimension.
1. PREPARING THE GROUND FOR THE ROME DECLARATION
From Conference contributions to a shared metropolitan position
Starting from the framing question — Who governs what falls between our institutions? — participants will contribute throughout the programme to the development of a shared set of thematic statements and key messages on the role and recognition of metropolitan authorities in the emerging European governance and funding framework, particularly in relation to the 2028–2034 National and Regional Partnership Plans and the associated EU Multiannual Financial Framework.
METREX Expert and Network Groups will each be invited to formulate one key message from their specific perspective, while discussions, site visits and Metropolitan Labs will provide practical evidence of where stronger metropolitan coordination is needed and what metropolitan authorities can contribute.
Rather than drafting and adopting a final political declaration during the Conference, the intention is to collect and consolidate these contributions as the foundation for the subsequent drafting of the Rome Declaration. This approach builds on the technical and practical expertise of Conference participants, while ensuring that it informs a document that will subsequently undergo political review and validation.
To facilitate this process, a preliminary framework for the Declaration will be prepared ahead of the Conference, providing a common structure within which the different thematic statements and key messages can be collected and organised.
You can access the preliminary version under the ‘Conference documents’ on the Conference website.
Expected outputs:
A consolidated set of thematic statements and key messages emerging from the Conference discussions, Expert and Network Groups, and Metropolitan Labs.
A structured framework bringing these contributions together and identifying shared priorities for metropolitan governance and recognition within the future European policy and funding framework.
A basis for the subsequent drafting and political validation of the METREX Rome Declaration, articulating a collective metropolitan perspective on Europe’s future governance and territorial development.
A draft will be circulated to members for consultation before the Spring Conference 2027.
2. PEER RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE METROPOLITAN CITY OF ROME CAPITAL
From conference debate to practical metropolitan learning
The second strand translates the conference theme into practical peer learning.
Rather than presenting Rome only as the host or as a case study, the Metropolitan City will invite METREX members and partners to work directly on live metropolitan challenges and policy instruments.
The Thursday Metropolitan Labs will function as structured peer-review sessions, based on a short challenge brief or relevant policy document circulated in advance.
Each Lab will produce a small number of concise and actionable recommendations. These will serve a dual purpose: providing peer perspectives for Rome’s live policy instruments, while also generating practical insights that can inform the broader political discussion leading to the Rome Declaration.
Output:
A concise set of peer recommendations for Rome’s interconnected metropolitan policies and governance instruments.
3. THE ANNIVERSARY RECORD
Thirty years behind us — thirty years ahead
The third strand creates a collective record of METREX at 30.
Rather than concentrating the anniversary in a single ceremony, participants will be invited throughout the Conference to contribute to a collaborative reflection on the Network’s past, present and future.
The anniversary programme will combine memories, visual storytelling and future-oriented reflection. Through short interviews, a member exhibition, postcards and letters to 2056, and a collaborative Futures Wall, participants will look back at how metropolitan regions and METREX have evolved over the past 30 years while imagining the priorities and transformations that should shape the next 30.
Output:
A collective record of METREX at 30 — connecting what the Network has learned since 1996 with the metropolitan Europe it wants to help shape by 2056.
12:00–17:00 — METREX MC Meeting
Venue: Studio Legale Rinaldi & Associati
Address: Largo di Torre Argentina, 11 – 00186 Roma (Google Maps)
17:30–18:45 — Site visit: Colosseo–Fori Imperiali Archeostation
Meeting point: In front of the external ticket gates of the Colosseo–Fori Imperiali station on Rome Metro Line C, at 17:30 (Google Maps – correct meeting point)
Guided visit to the Colosseo–Fori Imperiali station on Rome Metro Line C, exploring how metropolitan mobility infrastructure integrates archaeological heritage, engineering and architecture.
Useful links:
Metro C archaeomuseum-stations
Youtube video
19:00–20:30 — Informal welcome drinks
Kindly offered by the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital
Venue: DOL – Di Origine Laziale
Address: Via Domenico Panaroli, 27, Roma (Google Maps)
On their return journey, participants may wish to stop at Pigneto Metro C station and explore one of Rome’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, known for its creative atmosphere, street life and diverse food and drink scene.
Participants are offered two options:
Option 1
09:00–11:30 — Nordic Baltic Network group meeting
Venue: Palazzo Valentini
Address: Via Quattro Novembre, 119a, Roma (Google Maps)
08:30–09:00 — Registration opens
09:00–11:30— Nordic Baltic Network group activities
Room: Sala Ex Giunta (second floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3202922489253471?p=G5iNRFjP0EyoWLW5Y4
Network members will share updates on city-region planning and key challenges across the Nordic-Baltic area. The meeting will also explore collaboration on updating the Nordic-Baltic Space (2019) and discuss the network’s contribution to the Rome Declaration.
10:30–10:45— Coffee break
Room: Sala delle Bandiere/Hall of Flags.
Option 2
Visit to METROPOLITANO Urban Center Roma
Address: Viale Manzoni, 34, Roma (Google Maps)
09:30–10:00 — Registration and welcome coffee
Late arrivals can register later at Palazzo Valentini as well.
10:00–11:00 — Visit to METROPOLITANO Urban Center
The visit to the Urban Center offers an overview of the governance ecosystem that makes metropolitan projects possible. It is a place where urban and metropolitan transformations can be made visible, discussed, and connected. It will allow participants to explore how CmRC and Roma Capitale are working to connect mobility, green and nature planning, food policy, strategic planning and urban-rural governance within a shared metropolitan perspective. The visit will create a common learning experience for all participants, providing a coherent bridge between the conference theme, the European projects and the Metropolitan Policy Labs.
Explore the official website: METROPOLITANO Urban Center Roma
11:00–11:30 — A Journey Through Rome’s Layers
Walking tour from the Metropolitano Urban Center to Palazzo Valentini
Starting at the Metropolitano Urban Center on Viale Manzoni, this walking tour explores how successive generations have reshaped Rome. The Basilica of San Clemente reveals those layers in a single building, with a medieval church standing above an earlier Christian basilica and ancient Roman structures.From the Colosseum, the route follows Via dei Fori Imperiali, a twentieth-century avenue that cuts through the archaeological landscape of the Imperial Fora. Trajan’s Markets offer a glimpse of how the imperial capital was organised, while the spiral relief on Trajan’s Column recounts the emperor’s military campaigns. At Piazza Venezia, the Vittoriano marks the creation of modern Italy, while work on Metro Line C continues to uncover traces of the city’s past. The walk ends at Palazzo Valentini, a Renaissance palace that now serves as the seat of the Metropolitan City of Rome – Learn more about the Tour
Public transport to Palazzo Valentini
- Bus 51. From the Urban Center, turn right onto Viale Manzoni and walk two minutes to Manzoni (Ma). Take the bus towards San Giovanni and get off at Corso/Ss. Apostoli after six stops.
- Bus 87. Turn left onto Viale Manzoni and walk six minutes to Labicana (Merulana). Take the bus towards Giulio Cesare/Lepanto and get off at Plebiscito after five stops.See detailed descriptions of the bus journeys
Palazzo Valentini is about four minutes on foot from either stop. You can pay on board using ATAC’s contactless Tap & Go® service.
METREX 30th Anniversary Conference — Palazzo Valentini
Address: Via Quattro Novembre, 119a, 00187 Roma (Google Maps)
11:30–12:00 — Welcome, thematic introduction and presentation of the conference structure
Speakers: Rome representatives and Peter Agh, Secretary General of METREX
Speed networking
One question: What is the hardest boundary you have to govern across?
Format: Three rotations of seven minutes.
Starting from the conference framing question, participants (individually or gathered per member organization) are invited to identify the most difficult boundary they face in their daily work.
This will represent the first step in exploring the conference theme through their own metropolitan experience.
12:00–13:00 — Lunch
13:00–13:15 — Keynote speech by Iván Tosics, Director, Metropolitan Research Institute, HU
Inspirations from MICAD (Horizon Europe) project, led by Metropolis
Expert and Network Group working meetings
13:15–14:45 — Round 1
Expert Groups are invited to reflect on the conference framing question, discuss its implications from the group’s perspective and identify one key message contributing to the Rome Declaration. Each expert group nominates a rapporteur.
Metropolitan Climate Challenge EG
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Sassoli (ground floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3421193055962197?p=sMkqTkL0Xx06tV9uoc
Moderator: Alpo Tani, City of Helsinki, FI
Rapporteur: Sarah Johnstone, Gothenburg Region, SE
The Climate Change Expert Group will discuss key issues related to the climate challenge in the context of European metropolitan areas. Climate-related challenges are rapidly reshaping both the responsibilities of metropolitan authorities and the spatial realities they need to address.
The meeting will provide an opportunity to share up-to-date knowledge and experiences on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Drawing on recent examples and practices, the group will develop a shared perspective and contribution to the Rome Declaration, while also discussing the ongoing CLI-MET project and its relevance to metropolitan climate action.
EconoMETREX 2.0
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Di Liegro (second floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3412175212511606?p=zDHszPiuaJcOhFvIMK
Moderator: Peter Pol, City of The Hague, NL
Rapporteur: Johan van Zoest, City of Amsterdam, NL
The EconoMETREX session will explore the spatial economy of the Rome metropolitan region and discuss the group’s future strategic direction. The discussion will address a mission-based approach to Europe’s economy, the development of a bottom-up training programme, and the idea of a high-level “Solvay Conference” bringing together leading European thinkers.
Participants will also explore European funding opportunities for an ethical, mission-oriented approach to Artificial Intelligence in metropolitan regions, define EconoMETREX’s contribution to the Rome Declaration, and agree on next steps.
Metropolitan governance & strategies
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Ex Giunta (second floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3202922489253471?p=G5iNRFjP0EyoWLW5Y4
Moderator: Łukasz Medeksza; City of Wrocław, PL
Rapporteur: Laura Papaleo, Metropolitan City of Genova, IT
The METREX Expert Group on Metropolitan Governance & Strategies is developing a new work programme aimed at strengthening comparative knowledge of metropolitan governance in Europe and contributing more directly to METREX policy development.
At its meeting during the METREX Autumn Conference in Rome, the Expert Group will discuss three proposed priorities for its future work: the creation of a European Metropolitan Governance Database, the development of a European Metropolitan Political Observatory, and a contribution to the Rome Declaration from the perspective of metropolitan governance and strategies.
14:45–15:00 — Break
15:00–16:30 — Round 2
Expert and Network Groups are invited to reflect on the conference framing question, discuss its implications from the group’s perspective and identify one key message contributing to the Rome Declaration. Each expert group nominates a rapporteur.
Spatial Planning for Circular Economy EG
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Di Liegro (second floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3293558585997250?p=h61qkhWuVQcfS1lrT7
Moderator: Dagmar Keim, City of Amsterdam, NL
Rapporteur: Anna Knight, Stockholm Region, SE
Planning for a circular economy requires new approaches to spatial planning at different scales.
During this working group meeting, we will explore the key findings of the Interreg project ASSET, in which project partners investigated the impacts of the circular transition on our cities and how spatial planning can support the transition towards a circular economy.
We will also look at the initial findings of a project currently being developed by the Region of Stockholm, Regional Guidance and Working Methods for Circularity.
The presentations will be followed by an interactive discussion on how to translate circular ambitions into spatial planning goals and put them into practice. What roles can cities and regions play in this process? How can they work together to turn circular economy ambitions into concrete spatial strategies and actions? How can we support the development of circular flows?
Finally, what role could METREX play in supporting metropolitan regions in advancing the transition towards a circular economy?
Sustainable & Affordable Housing EG | Workshop 1
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Ex Giunta (second floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3202922489253471?p=G5iNRFjP0EyoWLW5Y4
Moderator: Claudia Murray, University of Reading, UK
Rapporteur: tbc
Workshop 1 — Mapping the Terrain
Who governs housing in the space between our institutions?
Two hands-on workshops on what metropolitan authorities can do for housing.
What can a metropolitan perspective do for housing that no single municipality, region or ministry can do alone?
This workshop session will address the following question: ‘Who holds which housing levers in your region, and with what capacity?’
The aim will be to build a shared map with peers from other regions and spot the problems that no institution owns. Then decide where a metropolitan level adds most value.
METREX 2049: Foresight EG
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Centenario (ground floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3618555020619652?p=IKB8QXXOS91TmyknOe
Moderators: Claire Boisset and Łukasz Medeksza
The Foresight Room will provide an interactive and collaborative space to explore what METREX could become over the next 30 years, identify the key trends and uncertainties that may shape the future of metropolitan regions, and reflect on how these perspectives could contribute to the development of the Rome Declaration. Rather than following a traditional format of presentations or structured discussions, the Foresight Room will operate as an open, drop-in space, where participants will be invited to contribute to a collective collage of the future, explore emerging trends and uncertainties, and help formulate a shared foresight perspective.
The activity will build on the outcomes of previous consultations and workshops, including those held during the METREX conferences in Gdańsk and Helsinki, while also drawing inspiration from the images and reflections collected through the “METREX at 30: Picture the Past, Imagine the Future” initiative.
The contributions gathered will inform a collective reflection on METREX’s future role and ambitions, providing a forward-looking perspective to support the preparation of the Rome Declaration.
16:30–16:45 — Break
16:45–18:15 — Round 3
Expert and Network Groups are invited to reflect on the conference framing question, discuss its implications from the group’s perspective and identify one key message contributing to the Rome Declaration. Each expert group nominates a rapporteur.
Expert Group: From Roads to Streets
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Sassoli (ground floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3421193055962197?p=sMkqTkL0Xx06tV9uoc
Coordinator: Paul Lecroart, Institut Paris Region
Moderator: Iván Tosics, Metropolitan Research Institute
Speaker: Dario Parravicini, Director, Economic and Social Development Department, Città Metropolitana di Milano
Many cities in Europe are planning to unlock land for urban intensification by converting major highways into urban boulevards, thus helping to build healthier, more liveable and sustainable metropolitan systems.
But why are these strategic projects so difficult to implement? What’s missing in our toolkit? How can local, regional, and national authorities work better together on these issues?
Network Group: EURODELTA Alliance
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Di Liegro (second floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3293558585997250?p=h61qkhWuVQcfS1lrT7
Coordinator: Dagmar Keim, City of Amsterdam, NL
Rapporteur: Dietmar Schulmeister, Metropoolregio Rheinland, DE
Megaregional Partnerships
Co-hosted by the METREX Expert Network Groups: EuroDelta and Nordic-Baltic Region
This joint session brings together representatives of the EuroDelta and Nordic-Baltic Region Expert Network Groups to explore the growing role of megaregional partnerships in Europe.
Drawing on experiences from the STRING megaregion and EuroDelta, the discussion will examine the concept of megaregions and the potential of soft planning and strategic cooperation to strengthen connections across administrative and national borders.
Contributions from American representatives will bring an international perspective, offering opportunities to compare different approaches to megaregional cooperation and reflect on their relevance for Europe. The session will also explore how megaregional partnerships can contribute to addressing shared territorial challenges and what role METREX and European institutions could play in supporting their development.
Key questions for discussion
- Why should cities and regions invest in strategic partnerships with neighbouring metropolitan areas and regions?
- What added value can cooperation at the megaregional scale offer beyond what individual cities and regions can achieve independently?
- Why should the European Commission engage with megaregional partnerships, and how could the EU support their development?
- What role could METREX play in fostering megaregional cooperation and strengthening its recognition within European policy frameworks?
Expert Group: Sustainable & Affordable Housing | Workshop 2
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Ex Giunta (second floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3202922489253471?p=G5iNRFjP0EyoWLW5Y4
Coordinator: Claudia Murray, University of Reading, UK
Rapporteur: tbc
Workshop 2 — From Rules to Reality
Who governs housing in the space between our institutions?
Two hands-on workshops on what metropolitan authorities can do for housing.
What can a metropolitan perspective do for housing that no single municipality, region or ministry can do alone?
This workshop session will address the following question: ‘What happens when a housing policy meets the organisations that must deliver it?’
Test a real reform from your own region, spot implementation risks early, and agree what metropolitan authorities can do about them.
METREX 2049: Foresight EG
Hybrid format
Room: Sala Centenario (ground floor)
Link to join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3618555020619652?p=IKB8QXXOS91TmyknOe
Activities continue from the previous round.
18:15–18:30 — Official Opening Ceremony and 30th Anniversary of METREX
Introduction to the conference framing question / 30th Anniversary activities.
Pierluigi Sanna, Deputy Mayor, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital (tbc)
Marco Griguolo, METREX President
18:30–20:00 — Free time
20:00–21:30 — Dinner at Antica Trattoria Angelino
Address: Piazza Margana, 37, Roma (Google Maps)
Kindly offered by the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital
20:00 — Daily summary published
08:30–09:00 — Registration and welcome coffee
09:00–09:10 — Opening of the day
with Marco Griguolo, METREX President
09:10–10:00 — Anniversary keynote: thirty years of metropolitan Europe, and the next thirty
Chair of the Day: Peter Agh, METREX Secretary General
The Institutional/multilevel-European perspective
with Keynote speaker: Belinda Gottardi, Vice-President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
10:00–10:45 — A conversation
The reasons for being in METREX: past, present and future
Moderator of the session: Peter Agh, Secretary General of METREX
A panel discussion with:
- Julita Miłosz-Augustowska, Regional Office for Spatial Planning of West Pomeranian Voivodeship, PL
- Ondřej Cmoriak, City of Brno, CZ
- Alastair Wyllie (first Head of Secretariat), UK
- Douglas Gordon, EKA, EE
10:45–11:15 — Break
11:15–12:00 — The Rome Challenge, the local question
From sectoral policies to integrated metropolitan governance. How the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital is connecting the Metropolitan Strategic Plan, the PUMS, the Climate and Energy Strategy, the Metropolitan Agenda for Sustainable Development, and its urban–rural and food governance instruments.
With
- Dott. Francesco Nazzaro, Capo di Gabinetto, Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale
- Prof. Roberto Paolesse, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
12:00–12:45 — Beyond Europe, the global perspective
Moderator of the session: Gianina Panatau, Vice-President of METREX
A panel discussion with:
- Carmine Pacente, CoR Rapporteur on Urban and Metropolitan areas
- Aileen Bouclé, Chair of the Executive Directors Council of NARC – National Association of Regional Councils, USA
- Wedad Kabi, String Megaregion, DK
- Dr. Montaser Hiyari, AUDI – Arab Urban Development Institute, Saudi Arabia (online)
- Prof. Zhong Lv, Shanghai Design Capital Promotion Centre (SPCCD), China (online)
- Marco Griguolo, METREX President, Italy
12:45–13:30 — METREX 30th Anniversary activities
13:30–14:30 — Lunch break
14:30–16:30 — Metropolitan Labs
Parallel working sessions
Each lab works on a real CmRC document or dilemma circulated one week in advance.
Metropolitan Lab 1 — Proximity, accessibility and everyday life: beyond the 15-minute city
On the table: the metropolitan PUMS and accessibility in low-density municipalities.
Anchor project: PROWD
Coordinators: Prof. Mauro Baioni and Prof. Giovanni Caudo (Roma Tre University)
Teams link to join online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3545296475909078?p=Z472LhuCw9muvTWHFd
In recent years, the 15-minute city has become a prominent reference in debates on urban proximity. However, its application to suburban and low-density contexts raises important questions about how to address everyday needs in territories characterised by dispersed settlements, fragmented infrastructure and uneven access to services.
The PROWD project explores how proximity can be strengthened by building on existing local resources, practices and networks, rather than seeking to reproduce the spatial conditions of compact urban centres. These practices are often specific to their contexts and may not fit established planning frameworks or conventional service provision. The challenge is therefore not to standardise local responses, but to understand how institutions can recognise, support and connect them over time. The composite character of extended urbanisation challenges established repertoires of urban welfare and calls for responses tailored to specific contexts and their evolutionary trajectories.
How can metropolitan institutions develop flexible and stable policy frameworks that enable locally rooted initiatives to respond to different territorial needs, while ensuring continuity and coordination across levels of governance?
> Prepare for the session: Participants briefing
> More details under the section: Workshops
Metropolitan Lab 2 — Metropolitan intelligence for the next generation of governance
On the table: the data and monitoring architecture of the Strategic Plan.
Anchor project: BIO-INTEL-MOB
Coordinator: Sevket Oguz Kagan Capkin, Research Centre for Transport & Logistics (CTL) at University “La Sapienza”, Roma
Teams link to join online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3339570642492666?p=rPAVqgEbwDH5hUcJpI
How can authorities use data, AI and digital twins in decision-making? What are the risks of data-driven governance? Can technology deliver climate-neutral mobility and better everyday life at once? What territorial intelligence is actually needed?
> Prepare for the session: Participants briefing will follow
> More details under the section: Workshops
Metropolitan Lab 3 — Reconnecting Territories: Urban, Peri-Urban and Rural Food systems, territorial resilience and metropolitan governance
On the table: urban–rural and food governance in the Metropolitan Agenda.
Anchor project: FOODGaP
Coordinators: Prof. Davide Marino and Daniela Bernaschi (CURSA – University Consortium for Socio-Economic and Environmental Research), and Francesca Volpe and Andrea Calori (CIHEAM Bari – Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari).
Teams link to join online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3945988043609772?p=O2koFMhgL4ApzQE12I
This project offers a very practical example of integrated metropolitan governance, linking urban-rural relations, territorial resilience, stakeholder participation and policy coherence.
How can metropolitan authorities help reconnect territories, actors and policies through the domain of the food systems (implying local supply chains, proximity services, logistics and connectivity)?
> Prepare for the session: Participants briefing
> More details under the section: Workshops
16:30–17:00 — Coffee break
16:45–17:00 — Book presentation ‘Building Metropolitan Cooperation for Ukraine’s Recovery and EU Future’
With Chuck Bean, former Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
17:00–18:00 — Harvest plenary and first reading of the Rome Declaration
Rapporteurs from the ten Expert and Network Groups and the three Metropolitan Labs will present the key outcomes of their discussions, highlighting the main messages and proposed contributions to the Rome Declaration.
18:00–19:30 — Free time
19:30 — 30th Anniversary METREX Dinner at Hotel Forum Rooftop restaurant
Location: Via Tor de’ Conti 25 – 00184 Roma (Google Maps)
Offered by METREX
20:00 — Daily summary published
Venue: Palazzo Valentini
The conference closes at 12:30; a farewell lunch is served until 14:00. Please book departures accordingly.
08:45–09:00 — Welcome coffee
09:00–10:00 — METREX General Assembly
Members only
Room: Sala Fregosi (Council Hall)
10:00–10:15 — Coffee break
10:15–11:00 — International panel
Moderator: Marco Griguolo, METREX President
- Mr Jacopo Suppo, Deputy Mayor, Metropolitan City of Turin, IT
- Mr Pierluigi Sanna, Deputy Mayor, Metropolitan City of Rome, IT
- Mr. Xavier Estruch Bosch, Head of international relations, AMB, ES
- Mr Francesco Vassallo, Deputy Mayor, Metropolitan City of Milano, IT
- Ms. Alessandra Innocenzi, Consigliera Delegata, Città metropolitana di Firenze, IT
- Mr. Roman Kizyma, Executive Director of the Lviv Agglomeration Association and water management development officer in the Municipality of Lviv, UA
- Mr. Jakub Mazur, Deputy Mayor, City of Wrocław, PL
- Mr. Giuseppe Cirillo, Deputy Mayor, Metropolitan City of Naples, IT
11:00–12:30 — Closing plenary. Towards the Rome Declaration: Shaping a Shared Metropolitan Vision
The closing session will bring together the reflections, challenges and proposals emerging from the previous two days of discussions, Expert and Network Group meetings, and Metropolitan Labs, translating them into a shared framework of thematic statements, key messages and common priorities.Through a collective discussion, participants will identify the key principles and ambitions that should guide METREX’s future political agenda, laying the foundations for the Rome Declaration.
Rather than adopting a final declaration, the session will mark the beginning of a broader collective process of drafting, consultation and political validation, with the ambition of presenting the Rome Declaration at the METREX Spring Conference 2027.
The session will thus conclude the Conference by turning thirty years of metropolitan experience into a shared commitment to shaping the future role of metropolitan authorities in Europe.
Announcement of the METREX Spring 2027 conference host.
12:30–12:40 — Closing remarks
by Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital
12:40–14:00 — Farewell lunch
Room: Sala delle Bandiere.
On the table: the metropolitan PUMS and accessibility in low-density municipalities.
Anchor project: PROWD
Coordinators: Prof. Mauro Baioni and Prof. Giovanni Caudo (Roma Tre University).
When: Thursday, 12 November 2026, 14:30–16:30.
Teams link to join online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3545296475909078?p=Z472LhuCw9muvTWHFd
The challenge
In recent years much has been said about the 15-minute city, but this model, designed for dense urban centres, does not work in suburban areas. The PROWD project proposes an alternative approach not to make the suburbs similar a city centre (high degree of density, accessibility, centrality), but to understand and enhance what already works: associations that manage public spaces, schools open to other initiatives, open spaces used by young people.
The composite character of extended urbanisation challenges established repertoires of urban welfare and calls for responses tailored to specific contexts and their evolutionary trajectories.
How can we move from standardised responses to policies capable of strengthening networks of local services and initiatives that meet people’s concrete needs without waiting for major infrastructure investment?
Starting from a concrete case of unconventional responses, absent from the Strategic Plan and the SUMP (PUMS), we reflect on how metropolitan cities can recognise and support such initiatives without acting case by case / occasion by occasion.
How can the metropolitan level systematically recognise and support what today emerges outside its planning instruments?
What is on the table and proposed approach
The session does not start from an abstract model but from this case, used as a trigger for discussion with the other European metropolitan areas present. The case is also a test of the programme’s question “is mobility always the answer?”.
The Lab is linked to the conference thread (“Who governs what falls between our institutions?”): who governs services that sits between the municipality, local associations and the metropolitan level, and that no instrument recognises?
The programme’s questions remain the frame: what role for local centres and community-based services; how territorial cohesion, quality of life and climate objectives are reconciled; what is transferable to other metropolitan areas.
Format
A single discussion with everyone in the same room, in three steps.
Step 1: needs and responses
Step 2: institutional recognition
Step 3: how would you address it
Before the conference
To prepare for the discussion, please take a look at the Participants briefing
Output and link to the 16:45 plenary
The Lab produces three or four concise, actionable recommendations for the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, referring to its planning instruments, plus one message for the Rome Declaration.
The recommendations are handed over to the Metropolitan City at the closing plenary on Friday 13 November.
On the table: the data and monitoring architecture of the Strategic Plan
Anchor project: BIO-INTEL-MOB
Coordinator: Sevket Oguz Kagan Capkin, Research Centre for Transport & Logistics (CTL) at University “La Sapienza”, Rome
When: Thursday 12 November 2026, 14:30–16:30.
The challenge
Metropolitan areas face interconnected challenges—including mobility, infrastructure, digital transformation, sustainability and social inclusion—that increasingly extend beyond administrative boundaries. Yet governance responsibilities often remain fragmented across institutions and sectors. Effective metropolitan governance therefore requires stronger connections between public authorities, citizens, territorial knowledge and policy decisions. Key challenges include overcoming institutional and territorial fragmentation, ensuring meaningful citizen participation, and using metropolitan intelligence and digital technologies to support evidence-based decisions. Building on the BIO-INTEL-MOB Smart City Governance approach, the METREX Governance Lab will explore how institutions, communities and technologies can work together to strengthen integrated planning, policy implementation and democratic accountability.
What is on the table and proposed approach
The Lab will bring together METREX members, policymakers, researchers and practitioners to compare experiences, identify common governance barriers and explore transferable solutions.
Discussion will focus on three interconnected dimensions:
- Connecting Institutions and Territorial Governance, strengthening multi-level cooperation, coordination and shared strategic planning;
- Connecting Citizens and Decision-Making, promoting meaningful participation, co-design and transparent links between community priorities and public policies; and
- Connecting Metropolitan Intelligence, Infrastructure and Policy Action, using monitoring systems, shared data, digital infrastructure and decision-support tools to improve planning and evidence-based policymaking.
Across all three dimensions, the Lab will consider institutional responsibilities, transparency and accountability.
Format
The Lab will use a single facilitated discussion, progressively addressing the three thematic dimensions and moving from governance challenges to institutional relationships and possible solutions. Concise expert interventions will be combined with contributions from metropolitan representatives. Interactive tools such as Mentimeter or Slido may help identify challenges, priorities and common areas for action. A Metropolitan Governance Connections Map will progressively connect institutions and territories, citizens and communities, and intelligence and policy instruments. The moderator will use the emerging map to structure the discussion, identify common priorities and support the formulation of shared conclusions.
Invited Speakers:
– Luca Persia (UniRoma1),
– Davide Shingo Usami (CTLup),
– Andrea Campagna (ILP),
– Michele Luglio (University of Tor Vergata, Rome),
– Daria Giura (Roma Capitale),
– Chiara di Majo (Services for Mobility, Rome) – tbc
Before the conference
To prepare for the discussion, please take a look at the Participants briefing (link to document will be available soon)
Output and link to the 16:45 plenary
The Lab will produce three or four Metropolitan Governance Propositions, translating shared challenges into practical solutions. Each proposition will identify a key governance challenge, possible actions at metropolitan level, relevant stakeholders and conditions for implementation. Together with the Metropolitan Governance Connections Map, the propositions will contribute to the elaboration of the Rome Declaration and METREX’s broader reflection on the future of metropolitan governance. The Lab may also identify shared capacity-building needs and opportunities for continued cooperation among metropolitan authorities, research institutions and European innovation initiatives.
About BIO-INTEL-MOB
BIO-INTEL-MOB integrates sustainable mobility and logistics with citizen-centric intelligent solutions. It explores how artificial intelligence, digital twins, mobility data spaces and innovative logistics can support climate-neutral mobility in peri-urban territories, combining technological innovation with participatory governance.
Status: Project starting.
This activity is co-organized with BIO-INTEL-MOB project
On the table: Urban–rural and food governance in the Metropolitan Agenda
Anchor project: FOODGaP
Coordinator: Prof. Davide Marino and Daniela Bernaschi (CURSA – University Consortium for Socio-Economic and Environmental Research), and Francesca Volpe and Andrea Calori (CIHEAM Bari – Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari)
When: Thursday 12 November 2026, 14:30–16:30.
Teams link to join online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3945988043609772?p=O2koFMhgL4ApzQE12I
The challenge
Food systems are a critical component of metropolitan resilience. They connect land, water, energy, infrastructure, markets, public services, communities and institutions across territories that extend far beyond municipal boundaries. They also shape people’s ability to access adequate, healthy, safe and affordable food, placing food systems at the intersection of climate resilience, territorial cohesion and social justice.
Climate change is making these interdependencies increasingly visible. Extreme weather events affect agricultural production and supply chains. Growing pressures on land, water and ecosystems reshape relationships between cities and their surrounding territories. Disruptions in transport, logistics and energy systems can rapidly affect food availability, accessibility and affordability. These pressures are not experienced equally. They interact with existing social and territorial inequalities and can increase food insecurity among the most vulnerable communities.
Strengthening metropolitan food systems therefore means addressing resilience and the right to food together. A resilient food system must be able not only to withstand and adapt to environmental, climatic and economic shocks, but also to protect access to adequate food across territories and social groups.
The metropolitan scale provides a particularly relevant space for addressing this challenge. The functional geography of food systems rarely coincides with administrative boundaries. Production areas, wholesale and local markets, distribution networks, logistics hubs, public services and consumers are connected through flows that cross municipalities and link cities to peri-urban and rural territories. At the same time, the policies and institutions shaping these flows are often organised through separate sectors and levels of government.
Metropolitan governance can play a crucial role in reconnecting these fragmented dimensions. It can strengthen relationships between urban demand and peri-urban and rural production, coordinate policies across municipal boundaries, connect public institutions, economic actors and communities, support resilient supply chains and proximity services, and integrate food into wider climate, environmental, territorial and social strategies.
FOODGaP provides a concrete starting point for this discussion. Its focus on local food governance and stakeholder participation highlights the importance of urban-rural linkages, resilient supply chains, sustainable procurement, territorial planning and policy coherence. These dimensions offer an opportunity to explore food systems as a practical field for developing more integrated forms of metropolitan governance.
What is on the table and proposed approach
The Metropolitan Lab will bring together the knowledge and experience of METREX members to explore how metropolitan areas can respond to these interconnected challenges. The diversity of territorial and institutional contexts represented within METREX provides an opportunity to identify common challenges, compare governance approaches and explore how food can connect climate action, environmental protection, territorial resilience and the right to food.
The Lab will focus on three interconnected dimensions.
Reconnecting territories will explore the relationships between urban, peri-urban and rural areas, considering food flows, local and regional supply chains, logistics, proximity services, land and natural resources, and inequalities in access to adequate, healthy and affordable food across metropolitan territories.
Reconnecting actors and governance will examine how metropolitan authorities, municipalities, regional governments, producers, businesses, civil society organisations, research institutions and communities can cooperate more effectively. Particular attention will be given to participation, representation and the capacity of metropolitan governance to create stable spaces for coordination and shared action.
Reconnecting policies will explore how food systems can be integrated into climate, environmental, spatial, economic and social policies. It will consider how metropolitan authorities can overcome sectoral approaches and connect food with climate action, land use, mobility and logistics, public procurement, health, welfare and local economic development.
Together, these three dimensions will support a collective reflection on how metropolitan governance can contribute to food systems that are more resilient, inclusive and territorially connected, while ensuring that the right to adequate food is considered as an integral part of metropolitan resilience.
Format
The Lab will combine exchange between metropolitan areas with a collaborative process aimed at identifying shared challenges, governance opportunities and possible areas for action. Participants will contribute their own territorial and institutional experience, allowing different metropolitan approaches to become a resource for mutual learning and collective problem-solving.
Before the conference
To prepare for the discussion, please take a look at the Participants briefing
Output and link to the 16:45 plenary
The discussion will lead to a limited number of Metropolitan Food and Resilience Propositions, identifying priority connections to strengthen, governance capacities to develop and areas where metropolitan action can generate environmental, social and territorial benefits.
These propositions will contribute to the Rome Declaration, connecting the experience of the Lab with the wider discussion on the future of metropolitan governance.
The Lab will also explore the capacities metropolitan authorities need to develop in order to work across food, climate, environment, territorial and social policies. These emerging needs may provide the basis for future cooperation and capacity-building activities within METREX and FOODGaP, including the possible development of a Summer School on integrated metropolitan food governance.
Food systems can therefore become more than an area of metropolitan policy. They can provide a strategic lens for understanding and governing the relationships between territories, communities, resources and institutions in a context of increasing climate, environmental and social uncertainty.
More information about FOODGaP
Site visit: Colosseo–Fori Imperiali Archeostation
Tuesday 10 November | 17:30–18:45
Meeting point: In front of the external ticket gates of the Colosseo–Fori Imperiali station on Rome Metro Line C, at 17:30 on Tuesday 10 November.
As part of the METREX Conference, delegates will visit the Colosseo–Fori Imperiali station on Rome Metro Line C, exploring how contemporary mobility infrastructure can integrate archaeological heritage into the transformation of the city.
Located between the Colosseum and the Basilica of Maxentius, the station spans four underground levels and provides an interchange with Line B. The visit will explore the design and engineering solutions used to build a major transport infrastructure within Rome’s complex historical and archaeological layers.
Conceived as an “archeostation”, the project incorporates archaeological artefacts and structures uncovered during excavation into passengers’ daily journey towards the platforms. These include Republican-era wells and remains of a Roman domus.
The visit will offer a first-hand insight into how engineering, archaeology, architecture and heritage preservation come together in a metropolitan mobility project at a site of international significance.
Delegates will be guided by the Councillor for Mobility of Roma Capitale, the Technical Director of Roma Metropolitane, the Director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park and the Director of ATAC. Their contributions will provide institutional, technical, archaeological and operational perspectives on the station’s development and management.
Conference documents
Practical information
Conference venue
Most sessions of the METREX 30th Anniversary Conference will take place at Palazzo Valentini, the historic headquarters of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital.
Palazzo Valentini
Via Quattro Novembre 119
00187 Rome, Italy
Located near Piazza Venezia, Palazzo Valentini has served as the headquarters of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital since 1873. Originally commissioned in the 16th century by Cardinal Michele Bonelli, the building stands in the heart of Rome, close to some of the city’s best-known landmarks, including Trajan’s Column, the Imperial Fora, the Vittoriano, the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.
Find Palazzo Valentini on Google Maps
Discover more about Palazzo Valentini
Reaching Palazzo Valentini
The nearest Metro stations are Colosseo, on Line B, and Termini, on Line A.
From Colosseo
Palazzo Valentini is approximately a 15-minute walk from Colosseo station. The route follows Via dei Fori Imperiali, passing through the archaeological heart of Rome.
Bus services 51 and 87 also connect the Colosseum area with the venue. Journey times may vary depending on traffic.
From Roma Termini
Palazzo Valentini can be reached in approximately 30 minutes on foot, via Piazza della Repubblica and Via Nazionale.
Alternatively, bus services H, 40, 64 and 170 connect Termini station with the area around Palazzo Valentini. The journey generally takes between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
Travelling from Rome Fiumicino Airport
Rome Fiumicino “Leonardo da Vinci” Airport is connected to the city centre by train, bus and taxi.
Leonardo Express
The Leonardo Express offers a direct, non-stop service between Fiumicino Airport and Roma Termini station.
- Departures approximately every 15 minutes
- Journey time: approximately 32 minutes
- Standard fare: €14
Check times and purchase tickets
FL1 regional train
The FL1 regional service connects Fiumicino Airport with several stations across Rome. Please note that it does not stop at Roma Termini.
Services generally run every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes at weekends and on public holidays.
Check connections and purchase tickets
Bus
Several coach operators provide connections between Fiumicino Airport and central Rome.
View bus connections from Fiumicino Airport
Taxi
Official taxis are white, display a “TAXI” sign on the roof and carry the relevant municipal identification markings. Taxi ranks are located outside the arrivals areas of Terminals 1 and 3.
Getting around Rome
Rome’s public transport network includes Metro, bus, tram and urban rail services. Tickets for local public transport are not valid for airport train services.
Visitors can choose between single tickets and passes valid for multiple journeys or several days.
View public transport tickets and passes
Accessibility
Rome’s bus fleet is equipped with boarding platforms and designated wheelchair spaces. Accessibility varies across tram and Metro services.
Most Metro stations are accessible to passengers with reduced mobility. On Metro Line A, however, the stations Spagna, Barberini, Repubblica and Vittorio Emanuele do not have lifts or stairlifts providing access to the platforms.
Roma Termini station is accessible, and assistance can be requested for rail journeys. Participants with specific accessibility requirements are encouraged to contact the METREX team before travelling so that appropriate support can be arranged.
Please note that an additional city tax of €7.50 per person per night applies to all accommodation options and is payable directly to the hotel.
Hotel Forum
Overlooking the Imperial Fora in the heart of historic Rome, Hotel Forum offers guests the opportunity to stay within walking distance of some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including Palazzo Valentini, venue of the METREX Autumn Conference 2026.
Special rate for METREX participants: 10% off the Best Available Rate.
To benefit from the offer, participants should contact the hotel directly by email or phone, quote the booking code “METREX”, and specify their preferred room type.
The discounted rate is subject to availability and confirmation by the hotel.
Contacts
Phone: +39 06 6792446
Email: info@hotelforum.com
Website: www.hotelforum.com
Argentina Residenza Style Hotel
Housed in a former 17th-century monastery on the site of the ancient Theatre of Pompey, the hotel is located in the heart of historic Rome, close to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum. Palazzo Valentini, the conference venue, is approximately a 10-minute walk away.
Special rates for the stay from 10 to 13 November 2026:
- Standard Room in a Separate Building: €510 total. The room is located 70 metres from the main building; access to the lift requires climbing a flight of 10 steps.
- Comfort Room: €570 total.
Breakfast included. Free cancellation up to 72 hours before arrival.
To benefit from these rates, guests should indicate when booking that they are attending the METREX Autumn Conference 2026.
Contacts
Phone: +39 06 68809533
Email: info@argentinastylehotel.com
Website: www.argentinastylehotel.com
Hotel Traiano
Set in the heart of historic Rome, opposite the Markets of Trajan and just a short walk from Piazza Venezia, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, Hotel Traiano offers accommodation in a prime central location. Palazzo Valentini is only a 3-minute walk away.
Special rate for METREX participants: an additional 10% discount on the Best Available Rate published on the hotel’s website.
To benefit from the discount, use the booking code “4LSPECIAL”.
Contacts
Phone: +39 06 6783862
Email: hoteltraiano@4lcollection.com
Website: www.hoteltraiano.it
Hotel Bolivar
Set in a historic 19th-century building in the heart of Rome, Hotel Bolivar enjoys a quiet yet central location between Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum. Palazzo Valentini, the conference venue, is approximately a 5-minute walk away.
A preferential rate of €140 per night for a Double Room for Single Use (DUS), including breakfast, has been reserved for conference participants, subject to availability.
To benefit from the special rate, participants should book directly with the hotel by email, mentioning the METREX Autumn Conference 2026.
Contacts
Phone: +39 06 6791614
Email: info@bolivarhotel.com
Website: www.bolivarhotel.eu
