DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-082-5-0152

Metropolitan Cooperation: Examples from the MECOGCE Project

František Kubeš¹

¹ AMBIS, vysoká škola, a. s., (AMBIS University), Lindnerova 575/1, 180 00 Praha, Libeň, Czech Republic

This paper analyses the methodology and outcomes of the Interreg Central Europe MECOG-CE project (2023–2026), focusing on enhancing integrated metropolitan cooperation and governance (MCG) across Central Europe (CE). The project partners, representing both mature institutional systems and emerging governance models, first identified critical thematic challenges, such as sustainable mobility and climate resilience, alongside persistent procedural barriers, notably administrative fragmentation and the general lack of institutional top-down support in many CE member states. Following a structured three-phase methodology – Analysis (Work Package 1, WP1), Capacity Building via Pilot Actions (WP2), and Strategy Formulation (WP3) – the project collected 76 best practices and adapted and refined five of them into five core, transferable solutions, including Food Cooperation for Metropolitan Areas. The resulting Strategy and Action Plans provide a flexible, replicable framework for accelerating integrated territorial development in functionally defined metropolitan areas, specifically addressing the institutional and political recognition gaps prevalent in the Visegrad region. The paper concludes that effective MCG transfer requires hybrid approaches, combining bottom-up stakeholder involvement with tailored financial instruments (such as Integrated Territorial Investments, ITI) to overcome fragmented administrative landscapes.

Klíčová slova: Metropolitan Governance, Interreg Central Europe, Territorial Cohesion, Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI)

stránky: 152-157, online: 2026