Metropolis is an international association of major cities and metropolitan areas, with its headquarters located in Barcelona, Spain. Founded in 1985 in Montreal with Barcelona as one of the 14 founding members, Metropolis was established to facilitate cooperation and knowledge exchange among the world’s large urban areas. In 2000, its General Secretariat moved to Barcelona, solidifying the city’s central role in the organization's activities.
Metropolis operates as a global network for metropolitan governments, bringing together more than 140 members from across all continents. It provides a forum for discussing urban governance and development, placing particular focus on practical challenges faced by city leaders. Over the decades, Metropolis has developed and coordinated technical commissions on more than 31 topics, the findings of which are shared at its triennial congresses.
Examples of Metropolis initiatives include technical assistance schemes and the Metropolis Training Institute, which was launched in partnership with Montreal. The organization has also participated in global events such as the United Nations Earth Summit in 1992 and Habitat II in 1996, where it contributed to the foundation of international local government movements.
The current scope of Metropolis's work includes supporting city-led responses to inequality and climate change, fostering peer-to-peer learning, and advocating for metropolitan interests in global policy forums. The association remains closely linked to Barcelona, benefiting from its strategic location in a major European urban hub and sharing the city's longstanding interest in urban affairs and municipal governance.