Imagining the Diagonal - A New Vision for Southern Europe

Milan

Marseille Madrid

Barcelona

Lisbon

IMAGINING

THE

DIAGONAL

A NEW VISION FOR SOUTHERN EUROPE

University of Pennsylvania | Department of City and Regional Planning

Spring 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 5 10 11 21 31 35 37

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY GUIDING THEMES VISION FOR THE DIAGONAL CHAIN OF LINKED CITIES GREATER MADRID REGION GROWTH SCENARIOS GOVERNANCE CONCLUSION

STUDIO TEAM:

STUDIO PROFESSORS:

CONTRIBUTING FACULTY:

Yasi Abernathy Regina Celestin Ming-ru Chu Laine Cidlowski Meghan Cunningham Adam Davidson Edward Davis Beth Falkof Paul Goldstein Rob Holub Celeste Layne, TA Joshu Shih Peter Skillings Justus Stewart Sherry Taylor

Armando Carbonell, Visiting Professor Robert Yaro, Professor of Practice

Vincent Goodstadt, UK Honorary Professor, Manchester University Giovanna Fossa, Professor, Politecnico di Milano Robin Thompson, Lecturer, University College London Fabio Casiroli, Architect, Systematica spa Milan Lawrence Barth, Professor, Architectual Association

STUDIO SPONSORS: Alfonso Vegara, President, Fundacion Metropoli Waikeen Ng, Director, Fundacion Metropoli

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank our professors, Robert Yaro and Armando Carbonell, for their guidance and insight throughout the semester. We are also grateful to the other faculty who made major contributions to our work, including Vincent Goodstadt and Robin Thompson from the UK and the facilitators in each of the cities of the European Diagonal: Afonso O’Neill, Oriol Nello, Giovanna Fossa, and Jean-Claude Tourret. Meeting with these individuals helped frame our thinking about the European Diagonal as a megaregion and greatly contributed to our final product. Our conversations with these facilitators provided us with an understanding of the regional and local context of each of the Diagonal cities, challenges facing the metropolitan areas, and recommendations for future strategies. Finally, we extend great thanks to the Fundación Metrópoli, particularly Alfonso Vegara and Waikeen Ng, for their support, hospitality, and vision.

European Diagonal

Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report focuses on the European “Diagonal,” a chain of five major metropolitan regions stretching from Lisbon to Milan, encompassing Madrid, Barcelona and Marseille and a constellation of smaller cities. It summarizes the findings and recommendations of a graduate planning studio at the University of Pennsylvania conducted in the Spring of 2007 for the Fundación Metrópoli in Madrid, Spain, one of Europe’s leading urban planning and research centers.

The studio was asked by the Fundación Metrópoli to examine whether the European Diagonal has the potential to enhance its megaregional function through linked economies, mobility systems, natural resources and cultural traditions. The studio was also asked to identify the policies and investments needed to achieve this goal.

After careful consideration, the studio team concluded that while the Diagonal does not yet function as a megaregion, it has the potential do so. The team did find, however, that the Diagonal currently consists of a chain of linked metropolitan regions, in which smaller overlapping links of city pairs already have economic ties. In some cases, such as Madrid and Barcelona, these links are already strong. In others, such as between Marseille and Milan, the cities are not currently closely connected. In every case, however, potential to strengthen these links exists, and strong advantages could be gained by doing so.

Incorporating all of the links in the Diagonal into a functioning megaregion will require major transportation and other infrastructure investments, including High Speed Rail (HSR) connections, modernized ports and other improvements needed to integrate the economies and mobility systems of the Diagonal cities.

Strengthening the relationships between the cities will also require cooperation between the Diagonal’s cities and regions regarding shared environmental, climate and energy concerns. Finally, capitalizing on the area’s potential will require that the Diagonal

cities work to bring immigrants into their economic and social mainstreams.

This report concludes that by taking these steps toward becoming a functioning megaregion, the entire Diagonal, its component cities, and its residents could gain enormous economic, mobility, environmental, and other advantages.

The Diagonal is one of a multitude of emerging megaregions in Europe, North America and East Asia that are seen by economists and planners as “global integration zones” that function as engines for the global economy. The 1999 European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) identified a Northern European megaregion and suggested two possible boundaries for this area. The first of these is the so-called “Pentagon,” which includes London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. A second concept outlined in ESDP is the “Dorsal” (also known as “The Blue Banana”) stretching from London to Milan, encompassing Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Zurich. The European Diagonal advanced in this report would form a complementary megaregion, linking Southern Europe’s leading metropolitan regions into a larger economic, mobility and environmental framework spanning approximately 2,300 kilometers.

This report comes at a time of economic, environmental and social transformation in Diagonal cities and fundamental changes in the European Structural Fund. Shifts in European Union economic development funds will redirect billions of euros away from the Diagonal to Eastern Europe. The emergence of megaregions has also been explored in recent books and monographs in the United States and Europe. Among these are Sir Peter Hall and Kathy Pain’s new book, The Polycentric Metropolis1.

Hall identifies the economic and transportation links that shape Europe’s most dynamic regions and the growing role these places play in the life of Northwestern Europe. This report examines ways that similar polycentric regions could be created or strengthened in the Diagonal. The Greater Madrid Region (GMR) section of the report outlines more detailed

mobility, economic development, growth management and governance strategies that could be employed to achieve this goal both in Madrid and other Diagonal cities.

This report also examines ways that the Diagonal concept can shape regional, national and European climate strategies by providing a framework for both adaptation and mitigation strategies. Each approach to climate change creates new opportunities for business, investments, infrastructure, and trade. Addressing these critical global issues through collaborative policy and investment can position the Diagonal as a global and sustainable region.

The Diagonal concept also presents an opportunity for understanding the region’s population and economic growth potential.

By strengthening connections within the Iberian Peninsula and aligning port cities with Madrid, the strongest and most centrally located capital city link in the chain, the Diagonal can leverage its strong connections and become an economic gateway to the rest of Europe.

Distance between Diagonal Cities

Movements of Goods & People

Region (GMR), the Diagonal’s fastest growing functional urban region.2 The GMR includes the Comunidad de Madrid and the surrounding provinces of Avila, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Segovia, and Toledo, which are each experiencing population growth. Air connections to Northern and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa connect the region to other parts of the world. The GMR also offers world-class economic, cultural and infrastructural assets, which—coupled with an increasing pool of immigrants—lead to population growth. In addition, Madrid is home to several cultural and world heritage sites and higher education institutions, making the city a global destination.

While Lisbon and Madrid are capital cities, other major Diagonal cities share close connections with their country’s respective capital cities. Economically, some cities, including Milan, the fashion and design capital of the world, have strong connections to Northern Europe and the rest of the world. Barcelona, Marseille and Milan have large immigrant populations contributing to their economies and labor pools. Although service sectors dominate the economies of all major Diagonal cities, each city retains an important role in producing and transporting goods.

Barcelona, Marseille, and Milan form a “Mediterranean and Milanese Gateway,” which has the potential to become a corridor for European trade with emerging markets in Asia, South America and North Africa. Ports in Lisbon, Barcelona and Marseille allow for trade with Asia, South America and North Africa.

The Beyond Madrid Regional Framework outlined in this report explores long-term regional planning options for the year 2030.

Strengthened economic and mobility links between Madrid and its satellite cities may promote sustainable prosperity for the entire region and prepare the GMR for the

After exploring the Diagonal, Section Six of this report focuses on the Greater Madrid

next generation of growth.

These long-term planning approaches for the GMR consider two growth scenarios: 1) continued sprawl, and 2) Smart Growth (urban infill development and polycentrism, as defined by Sir Peter Hall and Kathy Pain).

New governance structures could facilitate regional planning and strengthen the role of the satellite cities as growth centers.

The report closes with an examination of a model from the city of Madrid, the M-30 ring road to inform policies for the GMR. In summary, the European Diagonal concept provides a framework for managing growth, fostering economic competitiveness, advancing strategies to mitigate climate change, and promoting social cohesion in Southwestern Europe. Recommendations for future growth management in the GMR provide a template that could be used for polycentric regional development in the Diagonal’s metropolitan areas.

Endnotes

European Diagonal Key Map PARIS

Major Flows European Diagonal Cities Natural Systems Secondary Connections Coastline

REST OF EUROPE

Secondary Cities Satellite Cities LYON

MARSEILLE BILBAO

GENOA

BARCELONA ZARAGOZA

OPORTO VALENCIA

LATIN AMERICA

MADRID LISBON

SOUTH EAST ASIA SEVILLE

LATIN AMERICA & NORTH AFRICA

European Diagonal

MILAN

NORTH AFRICA & SOUTH EAST ASIA

1 Peter Hall and Kathy Pain. The Polycentric Metropolis: Learning from mega-city regions in Europe. Earthscan: London, 2006. A polycentric mega-region is a series of between 10 and 50 cities and towns, physically separate but functionally networked, clustered around one or more larger central cities, and drawing enormous economic strength from a new functional division of labor.

These places exist both as separate entities, in which most residents work locally and most workers are local residents, and as part of a wider functional urban region (FUR) connected by dense flows of people and information carried along motorways, high-speed rail lines and telecommunications cables with major implications for sustainable development.

2 Functional Urban Region (FUR) as defined by Sir Peter Hall goes out beyond the physically built-up area to encompass all the areas that have regular daily relationships with the core city.

It is similar to the concept of the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the United Sates.

Guiding Themes

GUIDING THEMES Why Megaregions Matter to Europe Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Regional Plan Association and Lincoln Institute of Land Policy have identified ten emerging megaregions in the United States, which include 70 percent of the US population and an even larger share of its gross domestic product (GDP).1 Richard Florida has identified twenty megaregions in Asia, Europe, and the United States; only one of these, the socalled “Pentagon,” is in Europe.2 European geographers have compared this single “global integration zone” with the emergence of four similar zones in the United States.3 French geographers have suggested that the Northern European megaregion stretches south to include Milan, forming the “Dorsal,” or “Blue Banana.”

Megaregions consist of linked metropolitan areas that share: • Economic sectors and commuting patterns; • Infrastructure and mobility systems, such as highways, rail and freight links; • Natural systems, such as mountain ranges, watersheds, estuaries and ecological systems.

• Settlement patterns, including similar urbanization patterns and in some cases, linked suburbs; and • History and culture Of the United States’ ten megaregions, the most well known is the Northeast, stretching from Boston to Washington, DC. The urban core of the Northeast encompasses 2 percent of the US land area, but contains 18 percent of the nation’s population and 20 percent of national GDP. This densely populated area is dominated by financial and business services, as well as a strong presence of biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.

Cities in the Northeast megaregion share transportation networks, including the I-95 motorway, Northeast Corridor rail line and frequent air-shuttle service. This megaregion

also shares the Appalachian Highlands, with its important water and biological resources, and a network of coastal estuaries. Finally, the cities in the Northeast share common culture, history and similar European-style settlement patterns built around dense urban cores.

Of the Northeast’s five largest metropolitan centers, Boston, New York and Washington, DC are strong-market cities, and Philadelphia and Baltimore are weak-market cities. The Northeast’s megaregion strategy promotes increased synergies between its strong- and weak-market cities.

Precedents Over the past ten years, the European Union’s European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) and Territorial Cohesion Strategies have shaped regional planning and development in Europe.

This policy framework arose from the need for investment strategies to steer the development of the European territory, one of the EU’s major policy concerns. These models provide a large-scale approach to planning for metropolitan growth, mobility, environmental protection and economic development.

Globally, megaregions are emerging as economic organizing units, producing the bulk of the world’s wealth, attracting creative talent, and becoming generators of innovation. In Europe, recent initiatives such as INTERREG III, financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), further economic and territorial cohesion by fostering balanced development across the continent through crossborder, transnational and interregional cooperation.

With most European citizens living in urban areas and immigrants accounting for the majority of the population growth in these European centers, megaregions can provide a framework for economic development, mobility, social cohesion, and climate strategies for the EU. Internationally, it is dynamic megaregions like the Northeast Corridor in the United States that lead the global economy. The Northeast megaregion, for example, is the world’s fourth largest economy. In China,

the Pearl River Delta, also known as the “world’s workshop,” has emerged as a leading economic region and manufacturing center.

It produced five percent of the world’s goods in 2001.4 Associated with this success are a series of challenges that face all of these economic engines, including congestion, population growth, immigration, and pollution. For example, infrastructure systems and housing markets in the Pearl River Delta struggle to keep pace with the rapid population growth and economic success. Traffic congestion along the Northeast Corridor limits the efficiency of the connections between cities and inhibits synergies between the Northeast’s component urban centers. In each of these places, steps must be taken to ensure that the dis-economies of scale do not overpower the economies of scale and agglomeration that fuel their economic success.

The EU’s Structural Fund has invested hundreds of billions of euros in strategic infrastructure systems and other activities that have transformed formerly

European Diagonal

underperforming regions, such as the Iberian Peninsula and Ireland, into some of Europe’s most vital economic zones. These funds and related investments in the Trans European Network (TEN) of strategic rail and highway links are also designed to strengthen the ties between Europe’s economic core—Northwest Europe’s “Pentagon”–-and other parts of Europe that currently lack the Pentagon’s economic strength. The Diagonal has the potential to create similar infrastructure links and common development strategies among its component cities and with the Pentagon, with the goal of creating similar economic advantages.

Climate Change at the Megaregion Scale For years to come, the issue of global climate change will drive planning, development, infrastructure, and environmental policies, strategies, and investments in every country of the world. Already, citizens, cities, and nations are calculating their impact on

Guiding Themes global climate and how it might be reduced.

In this process, Europe stands at a point of extraordinary leadership and advantage as it pursues a climate strategy that is bolder and more comprehensive than those proposed by other countries and other parts of the world. The European Union’s efforts set the tone for multi-national collaboration and cross-border policy providing a framework for sustainable energy and economic strategies to reduce greenhouse gases linked to global warming.

Climate strategies can be grouped into three interrelated categories: adaptation, mitigation, and opportunity. Adaptation represents the inevitable consequences of climate change that cannot be reversed or ameliorated in the next 100 years.

Consequences of climate change include decreased rainfall and desertification, increased storms and flooding, hotter summers and heat-related fatalities associated with urban heat islands, and widespread species extinction.

These impacts will not affect all places equally.

As a result, the need for adaptation will be far stronger in some places, including the European Diagonal.

Mitigation represents the actions that, if taken now, can reduce the degree of global heating experienced and potentially ameliorate some negative impacts of climate change. Mitigation is strongly expressed in the new EU climate targets, in new settlement and building policies, and in changing tax structures that internalize the costs of emissions-producing activities.

Both adaptation and mitigation can best be addressed at the regional or megaregional scale, making the Diagonal an appropriate framework for such strategies, in the context of broader European and national climate policies.

Both adaptation and mitigation represent new opportunities for business, investments, infrastructure, and trade. Transportation systems and fuels, infrastructure and building construction, emissions trading, and new methods of water and energy provision all present nascent opportunities to address climate change while creating sustainable economic prosperity.

Following last year’s release of the UK Government’s Stern Review, governments and the business community took notice of the report’s major theme: that the economic consequences of inaction are far greater than action.5 It is clear that public/private partnerships—taking aggressive action now—can create competitive advantages over companies and places that are forced into action only by regulation. This is of special concern to the Diagonal since three of the four countries represented—Spain, Italy, and Portugal—are all currently on track to exceed their own Kyoto Protocol targets.6 The Diagonal will be particularly impacted by certain effects of global warming. For example, Spain and Portugal are both considered ‘water stressed’ countries, while southern France and northern Italy both receive drinking water from rapidly shrinking alpine glaciers. Water shortages and potential rationing, lack of adequate water for wildlife and farming, and increasing drought and desertification are very real threats.

Increased heat and drought also increase the threat of wildfires, heat-related deaths like those experienced in the summer of 2003, and potential crop failures. Flooding and storm events are also predicted to increase in the Diagonal, particularly damaging to the fragile coastal ecosystems of Lisbon, Barcelona, and Marseille, and low-lying agricultural lands that depend on major waterways such as the Rhone and Guadalquivir River.

There are also exogenous consequences to climate change. One of the most significant of these for the Diagonal is the reality that to the extent these impacts affect southern Europe, they will be worse in North Africa.

It is likely that the number of North Africans migrating into southern Europe will increase greatly, especially in the event of a prolonged drought or disaster.

The city regions of the Diagonal have the resources to adapt to these threats. A first approach is to determine where impacts are likely to be worst and attempt to steer

Erosion, southern Europe

growth away from those places. Southern Spain and the Greater Madrid and Milan metropolitan areas are particularly vulnerable. Growth in these regions should be carefully directed through policies that manage development within distinct boundaries while discouraging overconsumption of open land.

In the effort to mitigate the effects of climate change, every area of the Diagonal can take similar steps to curb emissions of greenhouse gasses. This report conceives of these steps in three parts: the production of energy, the use of energy in buildings, and the use of energy for transportation.

The production of energy must eventually transition to renewable sources. According to the Stern Review, energy production in Europe is currently the largest single contributor to greenhouse gas emissions; emissions from transportation and industry are the second largest sources.7 These three sources combined account for over half of all greenhouse gas emissions in Europe.

Another way to conceive of mitigation measures is through both reduced demand and expanded supply of resources.

Essentially, if the regions of the Diagonal are going to meet their climate goals and reduce their carbon footprint, they must become more efficient, meeting the needs of their populations with far fewer resources.

Reduced demand for energy and water requires two strategies: a green building strategy and an urban form strategy.

Resource-efficient buildings in dense, transit-oriented communities will reduce demand for resources while maintaining quality of life, minimizing carbon emissions, and preserving open space.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL CLIMATE AGREEMENTS There are existing precedents for intergovernmental agreements aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a large scale. A few of these are highlighted below.

At the March 2007 Berlin European Union Summit, the EU announced ambitious new goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by the year 2020.

They also issued a challenge: if other nations made similar commitments, the EU would increase its target to 30%.

The UK has gone even further in its commitment. A climate change bill currently under review in the UK Parliament would reduce emissions by 60% by the year 2050. The passage of the bill will make the UK the first country to create legally enforceable mandatory emissions targets.

In the absence of a national climate strategy, a growing number of US megaregions, states, and cities are advancing climate strategies of their own, using the Kyoto Agreement as a framework.

In the Northeast megaregion, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cooperative agreement between 9 Northeastern states to create a cap and trade system that will allow the participating states to reach their individual climate goals within the larger regional framework. The states involved so far represent 14% of the population of the United States.

Steps will be needed to retrofit existing structures and communities to new climate standards at the same time that building and development codes require the latest in green building design and site planning for new construction.

Collaborative approaches on monitoring shared resources such as the Tagus watershed—which provides water for both Madrid and Lisbon—will also be essential in managing consumption, stewardship and negative externalities from growth and development, and reducing potential for prolonged drought or flooding to harm these metropolitan resources.

Growing populations may also require new water and energy supplies, presenting opportunities for the economies of the Diagonal to move to the front of emerging global markets in water desalination, renewable energy production, and renewable fuel supply—strategies that many countries in the Diagonal are already pursuing.

Climate change is a unique challenge in that, by definition, it is a global problem and must be dealt with on that scale. However, in the absence of a truly global strategy or African Immigrants in Madrid

In February of 2007, the governors of five western US states announced the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative. This initiative will also create a design for a cap and trade system to reduce regional emissions across all five states. The plan, when finalized, will affect approximately 18% of the population of the United States.

European Diagonal

climate agreement, megaregions such as the Diagonal can address this challenge through joint strategies, policies, and vision that set an example for structuring cross-border collaborations for a common goal.

The Diagonal as Europe’s Gateway The European Diagonal concept provides a framework for understanding the demographic and economic growth potential within Europe. The Diagonal’s linkages to Latin American, North African, and Middle Eastern countries help establish its role in the global economy as a channel to the growing populations and economies of these countries. The Diagonal is a chain of networked cities with overlapping connections with intercontinental economies and cultures.

Whether vacationing, immigrating, or conducting business, countless people cross the borders of Southern Europe, bringing capital and diversity into Diagonal cities. As the population of many European cities ages and reproductive rates decline, immigration provides a fresh, younger population and workforce for cities to compete on a global scale. European cities can look to the Diagonal as the standard for attracting and

Guiding Themes integrating foreign populations into their economies and connecting to the rapidly expanding economies of, for example, Brazil, Africa, and the Middle East.

The location of the Diagonal cities at the southern end of Europe and along the coast also provides for a strategic location in terms of trade with non-European countries. European Diagonal countries act as a funnel for trade and people from Latin America, North Africa, and the Middle East to Northern and Eastern Europe, and have the opportunity to expand on this competitive advantage. Madrid sets the example for this linkage, as Madrid is the final destination for 45 percent of flights to Europe from Latin America.

Immigration in the Diagonal Immigration drives population increase in the Diagonal. Immigrants from former colonies have brought together people with a common language, religion, and cultural values. For instance, a large part of Lisbon’s 2002 immigrant community originated from Cape Verde and Angola, both of which were former Portuguese colonies.

Marseille’s immigrant population largely comes from the Francophone countries of The Diagonal cities have strong links to Latin AMerica, Africa and South East Asia

North Africa: 47.6% of Marseille’s 1999 immigrant community originated from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Foreign populations continue to immigrate to the Diagonal countries for better economic opportunities. Accommodating immigrant populations will have important implications for the Diagonal’s future success.

Connection to the Global Economy The Diagonal’s port cities, Lisbon, Barcelona and Marseille, with Genoa act as gateways to the global economy. The Diagonal’s port cities are in the unique position to capture the growing trade coming to Europe from Asia. This chain of cities’ cultural and trade relationships with Latin America and North Africa also provide the potential to increase trade with these growing regions.

As Brazil becomes the next frontier for economic productivity, the Diagonal cities are positioned to solidify a connection.

Brazil is expected to rapidly increase its productivity with further economic stabilization. With the opportunity to improve their infrastructure and develop new logistics capabilities, the Diagonal port cities could expand their share of Europe’s expanding global trade volumes as other

northern ports, such as Rotterdam, reach capacity.

Endnotes 1 University of Pennsylvania, Regional Plan Association, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Towards an American Spatial Development Perspective: A Policy Roundtable on the federal role in metropolitan development. September 2004.

2 Richard Florida. Newsweek International, “The New Megalopolis” July 3-10, 2006, Vol. 148, Issue 1.

3 Andreas Faludi, European Spatial Planning. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: Cambridge, 2002. pp. 87.

4 Richard Florida. Newsweek International, “The New Megalopolis” July 3-10, 2006, Vol. 148, Issue 1.

5 “HM Treasury Report: Stern Review on the economics of climate change”, October 30 2006.

6 European Environmental Agency press release: “Climate change: Member States need to intensify efforts to reach Kyoto emission targets”, October 27 2006.

7 “HM Treasury Report: Stern Review on the economics of climate change”, October 30 2006. pg. 4 (Executive Summary).

A VISION FOR THE DIAGONAL History The premise of the European Diagonal may seem difficult to imagine as a planned megaregion in the 21st century. The cities of the Diagonal bring together four different countries, each with their own cultural specificities and history, but they also share the common bond of strong historic, political, and cultural ties. By 133 BC, the Roman Empire included most of Spain and Portugal. By AD 14, the entire Diagonal was under Roman rule, providing each country with Romance languages, a predominant Roman Catholic religion, and shared traditions and history.

10

During the 16th century, Spain became one of the most powerful and wealthy nations, based upon its colonization of the West Indies, Cuba, the Philippines, and large portions of North and South America. After Spain’s monopoly on American silver ended in 1630, Spanish power quickly dwindled.

Following the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714), Spain lost Gibraltar, Milan, Naples, Sardinia, Sicily, and Minorca.

Spain’s economic and political decline was compounded by its disastrous alliance with France during the Napoleonic Wars. Portugal was also devastated by the Napoleonic wars as a consequence of invasions by France. Both countries lost their New World empires in the early 19th century, leading to more than a century of economic stagnation and political strife.

Both Spain and Portugal were led by fascist dictators in the mid-20th century, compounding their economic and political isolation. Spain was effectively cut off from foreign investment during this period, and rationing of food and raw materials continued until the 1950s. Led by the United States during the Korean War, many nations resumed relations with Spain.

The country was admitted into the U.N. in 1955. Toward the end of Francisco Franco’s rule, Spain began liberalizing, culminating with the adoption of a new constitution in 1978. But even as the social, economic,

Expanse of Roman / Italian Empire

Expanse of Portuguese Empire

Expanse of Spanish Empire

Expanse of French Empire

European Diagonal

Regional Vision

Lyon

Milan

Torino Toulouse Bilbao Zaragoza Porto

Madrid

Marseille

Barcelona

Genoa

Monacco Nice Cannes

Valencia

Lisbon Seville

11

Algarve

and political landscape was changing, the country’s regional separatist groups remained opposed to a unified nation.

Also during the 1950s, Italy became a favored trade partner with the United States and began exporting many popular consumer products. With the growth in production, many of the country’s rural populations began migrating toward the industrialized northern cities, especially Milan.

In 1986, Portugal and Spain entered into the European Community (EC, forerunner to the EU) and experienced unprecedented economic growth, as the EC focused its Structural Fund investments in infrastructure and economic development

and increased trade with both countries.

With lowered interest rates and the adoption of the Euro, Spain and Portugal’s economic growth in the late 1990s outpaced most of Europe for the first time in centuries. By the beginning of the next decade, Portugal’s economy declined into recession. As of 2004, Portugal’s economy has been underperforming relative to Europe’s. But while Portugal has been historically reluctant to trade and cooperate with Spain for fear of annexation, Spain is now rivaling Germany as Portugal’s largest trading partner.

Continued European Structural Fund investments through the mid-2000s have helped build a new economic base for both Portugal and Spain. Strengthening

the western end of the Diagonal’s economy makes it more level with the economic powerhouse of Milan to the east. In the center of the Diagonal, the important port cities of Barcelona, Marseille, and Genoa have enormous potential for growth, providing the whole Diagonal megaregion with the opportunity for sustained development as Europe’s emerging “Sunbelt.”

CHAIN OF LINKED CITIES

12

Introduction

Combined with a review of the research conducted to date, the Studio team examined economic, infrastructure, cultural and environmental relationships between each pair of cities.

How do the Diagonal cities relate to each other? Can virtual boundaries be drawn to give form to an emerging megaregion stretching from Lisbon to Milan? Is there a conceptual form or metaphor that captures the existing and prospective economic, cultural and other links between the cities of the Diagonal? Conceptually defining any region is part science, part art. While economic and structural linkages between cities can be measured objectively, how a person in Lisbon personally relates to a person in Madrid, a city more than 600 kilometers away with its own language, politics, and culture, is more subjective and therefore more challenging to define. Other attempts at identifying megaregions, such as the “Blue Banana” and “Pentagon” in Europe, have straddled country boundaries in their search for a defining form. Is there a comparable conceptual form that can define the Diagonal cities?

This analysis of the Diagonal cities reveals two dominant shapes for the Diagonal. The first can be characterized as the “Iberian” cluster, which expresses the connection between Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona.

The second, the “Mediterranean and Milanese Gateway,” captures the synergies between Barcelona, Marseille and Milan as well as intervening areas, such as the Côte d’Azur, Monaco and Genoa. Together, these two groupings can provide their constituent cities with stronger commercial and cultural linkages to each other and to the economic heart of Northern Europe. In 2004, the Diagonal metropolitan regions alone comprised more than 29 million people, or about 6 percent of the European Union population (EU-27). Both of these groupings can also help Europe as a whole compete in the twenty-first century global economy and connect to emerging markets in Asia, South America and North Africa.

The report concludes that the cities of the Diagonal function as a “chain” of linked urban economies. Some of the links in the chain, such as Madrid and Barcelona, are the Diagonal’s strongest. Others, such as Marseille and Milan, have weak economic and transportation links. As with any chain, the strength of the whole structure is defined by its weakest links, so that the weak links between Marseille and Milan, for example, undercut the strength of the whole Diagonal. There is, however, strong potential to strengthen all of these links through improved transportation connections, and cooperation on economic development, trade, climate and social cohesion policies.

Following through on these policies could help determine whether the Diagonal can gain the economic and other connections needed in order to function as one of the world’s emerging megaregions.

City Profiles

This analysis began with an examination of contiguous city pairs under the assumption that those cities that were closest together would have the strongest relationships.

LISBON Praça Dom Pedro IV (Rossio)

Castelo de São Jorge

Lisbon City of Lisbon: 84.8 km² Lisbon Metropolitan Area: 3,128 km2 City of Lisbon Population: .6 million Lisbon Metropolitan Population: 2.7 million.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and the westernmost capital in mainland Europe, is the country’s dominant population and economic center. Its location between the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea has transformed it into a maritime city and a launching point for historic epochs of discovery and imperialism. Cultural links to African nations (Cape Verde, Angola) and South America (Brazil) forged by past colonization have opened new markets for the movement of goods and pathways for immigration. Lisbon’s economy is servicedriven. Tourism, insurance, consulting, telecommunications, and finance are the dominant sectors. The port also functions to support the movement of goods and

European Diagonal

Docas

Praça do Comércio

Regional Vision MADRID Plaza Santa Cruz

tourists, as well as serving as a driver of the city’s industry.

BARCELONA Sagrada Familia

The city remains at a crossroads concerning its future path. Located on the periphery of the continent, Lisbon’s location can be isolating from Europe while simultaneously providing Europe with a strategic location as Europe’s gateway to global markets, and in particular, one of the world’s most vibrant emerging economic superpowers, Brazil.

Strengthening economic and transportation connections with its European neighbors could be a strategic imperative for the city’s future.

Madrid

Templo de Debod

Downtown

Puerta de Alcalá

City of Madrid: 607 km² Madrid Metropolitan Area: 7,995 km² City of Madrid Population: 3.1 million Madrid Metropolitan Population: 5.9 million Madrid is the capital of and largest city in Spain. It is at once a political, cultural and financial center. It is the seat of the government, home to many landmark cultural institutions, and headquarters of many major Spanish companies as well as several of the world’s largest multinational corporations. The Madrid region may be divided into four areas: the highly urbanized metropolitan area (the Comunidad de Madrid), the Sierra in the north, the heavily industrialized Corridor del Henares in the east, and the primarily agricultural area in the south. The city is served by Barajas Airport, the fifth-largest airport in the EU, and two main rail stations with several high-speed rail links.

The Madrid region is experiencing high levels of population growth, primarily due to immigration. The city serves as a gateway for immigrants from Latin America, but also receives many immigrants from Asia, Eastern Europe and North Africa. While this influx presents challenges for the region, it also provides many opportunities.

A diverse community, a growing economy, investment in innovation and information technology, and several university centers provide the region with enormous potential for future economic growth.

Agbar Torre

13

Downtown Barcelona

Port of Barcelona

MARSEILLE Marketplace

Barcelona

MILAN Hotel Nhow in the Zona Tortona

City of Barcelona: 100.4 km² Barcelona Metropolitan Area: 628 km² City of Barcelona Population: 1.7 million Barcelona Metropolitan Population: 3 million

Vieux Port

Old Meets New in EuroMediterranee

14

Ecological Educational Center

In addition to being the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona is an important center of industry, design, and culture in Spain.

With a metro population exceeding three million, Barcelona is the second-largest city in Spain. Barcelona’s recent economic growth has been in the service sector. But while its growth has been in services and technology, the port and industrial base remain important to both Barcelona’s economy and identity.

Despite the city’s long history of successes, Barcelona has long been plagued by a struggle to maintain its individual Catalan identity in a predominantly Castilian speaking nation. While planning at the scale of the European Diagonal will promote economic cooperation between cities, Barcelona will also gain the advantage of political equality. As an equal player in the Diagonal megaregion comprised of five cities, each with its own language and culture, Barcelona would no longer be in a competitive disadvantage with Madrid as Spain’s “second city.”

Design Center of Europe

Centrale Stazione

Marseille City of Marseille: 241 km² Marseille Metropolitan Area: 2,830 km² City of Marseille Population: .8 million Marseille Metropolitan Population: 1.5 million Cranes at the Euromediteranee herald new growth in Marseille

The City of Marseille is located in southern France at the summit of the Mediterranean coast. France is home to some of the world’s most modern infrastructure connections.

The country plays a central role in the economy of northern Europe by providing special economic advantages to the Marseille region, which includes the entire Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region, of which Marseille is the capital city. Marseille’s satellite cities also play a strong role in the region’s economy; these cities include Lyon,

European Diagonal

Universita Biococca

Regional Vision Iberian Cluster

15 Cannes, and Aix-en-Provence. With already strong links to countries in the south, such as Morocco and Algeria, the region seeks to strengthen its economic connections to the economies of northern Europe.

Marseille looks to transform its former colonial port economy into a modern logistical center and international travel destination with the expansion of its container port and the redevelopment of a cruise ship terminal. Through Euro Mediterranee, a downtown redevelopment initiative, the municipal government seeks to attract private capital to the city through investments in urban amenities and infrastructure.

Milan City of Milan: 764 m2 Milan Metropolitan Area: 3,474 m2 City of Milan Population: 1.3 million Milan Metropolitan Population: 3.8 million

Milan is the fashion and design capital of the world and the gateway to northern and eastern Europe. Sixty-nine percent of Milanese companies are in the service and commerce sectors. The creative industry plays a major role in Milan’s economic base, particularly in the technology, design, arts and culture sectors. Other key industries include telecommunications, textiles, fashion, mechanics, and electronics. Milan’s economy is focused on the strengths of many small firms instead of a few large firms.

As the economic and transportation gateway to northern and eastern Europe, Milan has strong business relationships with northern Europe and is the closest access point from the Diagonal to eastern European markets.

New high speed rail links to Paris and Munich—including imminent completion of a new tunnel now being built under the Alps—will dramatically shorten travel times to Europe’s economic core and give Milan new competitive advantages. With these new links, Milan has the potential to be the hinge point of transportation, goods and

design innovation between the Diagonal and the rest of Europe.

City Pairs and Connections The Iberian Cluster Should the Diagonal cities of the Iberian Peninsula, Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona, be thought of as an emerging inter dependent unit, or are linkages between these cities fragmented? And can the existing ties between these cities be strengthened through strategic investments in infrastructure and collaboration on broader economic development and climate strategies?

The cities inhabit the westernmost and southernmost of the three European peninsulas. From a shared heritage of ancient Roman rule to shared watersheds, the Iberian Peninsula has had bursts of interlocking histories and common challenges. In today’s competitive global

The Mediterranean and Milanese Gateway

16

marketplace, the ways these cities relate to each other and how these linkages, if they exist, could be strengthened pose important policy considerations for the future. An identity for the region already exists, namely the “Iberian Peninsula.” An examination of the cities in contiguous pairs, moving from west to east, reveals that relationships exist, although the intensity of these connections is uneven.

Lisbon - Madrid The Lisbon to Madrid pairing provides a patchwork of differences and commonalities.

Differences span the physical and ethereal: population size, language, culture, and architecture, among other factors, distinguish the cities. The distance between the cities, approximately 625 kilometers, is an obstacle to fluid movement between Lisbon and Madrid.

This trio of Iberian cities is geographically aligned with the port cities on opposite coasts flanking the centrally located Madrid.

The strongest linkages exist between each neighboring city pair, meaning Lisbon to Madrid and Madrid to Barcelona. As a result, Madrid is the central link in the chain of the Iberian Diagonal cities.

But commonalities also exist. These Iberian neighbors are both seats of national government and their nation’s leading population and economic centers. The Lisbon Metropolitan Region (Lisboa) housed approximately 28 percent of the population of Portugal, while the Madrid region (Comunidad de Madrid) comprised 12 percent of Spain’s population.1 The

European Diagonal

City of Madrid, however, is the second largest city in Europe (with approximately 3.2 million people in 2005), trailing only Berlin.2 The population of the Comunidad de Madrid is growing more rapidly then Lisboa, swelling by 11 percent between 1999 and 2004, compared to Lisboa’s four percent gain. 3 Both cities (and their provinces) are economic powerhouses in their respective countries. Lisboa accounted for 39 percent of the GDP of continental Portugal in 2003, while the Comunidad de Madrid registered 18 percent of Spain’s GDP (trailing Andalucia and Catalonia).4 Both cities are also home to the majority of their country’s largest corporate headquarters. According to the 2006 Forbes

Regional Vision list of the world’s 2000 largest companies, Lisbon had 43 percent of Portugal’s representatives (ranking third of the seven cities included on the list), while Madrid had 65 percent of Spain’s (19 of 29) Forbes 2000 companies.5 Lisbon’s economy is services oriented, including industries based on tourism, insurance, consulting, telecommunications, and finance. Its port also provides a base for the movement of goods.6 Lisbon’s connection to its former colony, Brazil, offers enticing possibilities for trade and economic growth.7 Madrid is similarly service oriented, with the primary industries involving real estate, logistics and communications, and finance.8 For 2004, 82.3 percent of the employment in the City of Madrid was based in service industries.9 The Comunidad de Madrid is a net importer of consumer goods and a net exporter of services.10 Tourism is also a strong industry in both places. Finally, both Madrid and Lisbon have unemployment levels below the EU median.11 The transportation connections between the cities are expanding. Nearly 40 air flights a day cross between the cities.12 Lisbon’s Portela Airport and Madrid’s Barajas Airport are their countries’ busiest air hubs. Plans call for high-speed rail to connect Lisbon and Madrid, providing competition to air travel and facilitating stronger business linkages. Madrid is also the hub of the Spanish rail network.13 The cities also share the Tagus watershed.

The watershed provides hydroelectric power and drinking water for approximately 11 million people, irrigation.14 Sprawling settlement patterns are creating pressure on the environment and transportation systems.

Madrid - Barcelona Exploring the Madrid-to-Barcelona connection, these traditional Spanish rivals may be more familiar with emphasizing their differences rather than their similarities. Nevertheless, these cities are likely to grow increasingly inter dependent in the future. Redefining their identities within the context of the Diagonal

could permit Madrid and Barcelona to overcome traditional cultural and political differences.

Barcelona’s province (Catalonia) provides a population and economic counterweight to the Comunidad de Madrid. The City of Barcelona has less than half the population of the City of Madrid, but Catalonia has approximately 900,000 more residents than the Comunidad de Madrid.15 Both Madrid and Barcelona have gained population from immigrants, many of them arriving from the same origin country. As of 2005, four of the top five immigrant groups living in Madrid and Barcelona were from Morocco, Ecuador, China, and Cuba.16 Catalonia produces nearly one percent more of Spain’s GDP than the Comunidad de Madrid. Barcelona is a port city, a center for general container cargo, ranked tenth in Europe in 2004 for the number of containers moved, and cruise ships.17 Barcelona has a heavy industrial past, but with the declining importance of the industrial sector, there has been an increased emphasis on services, tourism, creative arts and high-tech sectors. In the past generation, Barcelona has dramatically transformed its self-image and its international profile, with a comprehensive program of strategic investments in infrastructure and urban amenities. In 2003, Catalonia was ranked fifth by a European ranking for the most population employed in high technology sectors.18 In 2000, Barcelona accounted for 86 percent of Catalan exports (27 percent of Spanish exports) of industrial products of a high and medium-high technological level.19 Madrid’s economy is also cultivating high technology. The Comunidad de Madrid invests more in research and development than any other region in Spain, accounting for 27.4 percent of the national total in 2004, the majority of which was funded by the private sector.20 Madrid and Barcelona are also centers for foreign investment. The Comunidad de Madrid received 54 percent of foreign investment made in Spain in 2005 and accounted for 80 percent of Spanish investment abroad. Catalonia has also seen strong foreign investment, with France

The Iberian Citizen To provide an illustration of the experience of what it would be like to live in the new European Diagonal, two vignettes follow. They are about the life and experience of a fictional character named Sofia. These vignettes feature her journey from her home in Lisbon to university in Barcelona to work in Madrid.

2020 Sofia anxiously awaited her train to Barcelona. She stood on the platform, trunk at her feet, and wondered how the next four years of her life would differ from her life in Lisbon. Her dreaming was cut short by the zipping halt of the high-speed rail car; the connection between Lisbon and Madrid made traveling between great Iberian cities so convenient, she thought, since her parents could drive her right to the train station. She turned around to wave goodbye to her mother and father who paced nervously a few steps away but quickly found herself in a close embrace.

Sofia faced a tough decision upon graduation; she was admitted to both the prestigious University of Lisbon, as well as the University of Barcelona, which had become as the predominant education institution in southern Europe. While she vacillated between options, she chose the route of a new experience, since she could always return to her native country or study abroad for up to a year in another European city under the ERASMUS program. Plus, as a young man, her father spent a summer working at Barcelona’s ports, so he was happy to see his only daughter return to a city that he knew and enjoyed. While the majority of her primary school classmates would be attending one of many strong higher education institutions in Portugal, Sofia took advantage of the opportunity to learn in another Iberian city, rich with culture.

17

Sofia was now just a three hour high-speed rail trip from the next phase of her life. As she walked through the first train car, she passed future classmates clad in University of Barcelona apparel. Apparently, a new generation of Portuguese young adults was temporarily relocating to Barcelona to attend its myriad first-rate universities.

She settled into her seat and marveled at the geographic interconnectedness of her past, present, and future lives. After university, and armed with a prestigious degree, there was no telling which locale Sofia would choose next.

18

2024 After four very successful and rewarding years in Barcelona where Sofia embraced the Catalan culture and lifestyle, Sofia decided to move to Madrid to join the large number of young people participating in southern Europe’s economic engine.

Because of Sofia’s language skills, she was an asset to the shipping company where she found employment; TransPort connected Madrid to Brazil and the rest of South America, showcasing the multi-centered region of the Iberian Peninsula. Madrid’s large influx of immigrants helped open up new markets in North Africa as well, so reliance on TransPort was ever growing. Sofia’s native language of Portuguese enabled her to communicate with representatives from these new economic centers.

On her first job assignment, Sofia spent hours studying the ports of northern Europe, namely Rotterdam, in relation to the newly expanded ports in Barcelona and Lisbon. She concluded that the strong economic and social connections between these EU cities would facilitate continued expansion and impact, making Barcelona and Lisbon competitive worldclass ports.

supplying the majority of foreign companies operating in the region.21 A 2006 Cushman and Wakefield survey ranked Barcelona as the fourth best place to locate a business in Europe, with Madrid ranking seventh best.22 The same report ranked Barcelona and Madrid number one and two concerning cities that are doing the most to improve themselves, and number one and three, respectively, for the best quality of life for employees.23 The infrastructure linkages between the cities are strong in spite of the distance between them. Nearly 200 flights connect the cities daily.24 High-speed rail service currently stretches from Madrid to Lleida with completion to Barcelona expected soon.

The benefits of Iberian Collaboration Increasing connectivity could provide benefits at local and regional scales.

Greater fluidity of movement would enhance the attractiveness of the Iberian Peninsula by providing people with more choices of places to live, work and recreate.

Strengthened transportation and economic links could help to create a globally competitive economic region. Larger agglomerations of economic activity could increase the economic competitiveness of key sectors of all three cities. Companies could expand their networks of customers and suppliers and workers could expand their universe of possible employers.

Projections indicate that high-speed rail can dramatically extend the reach of the Diagonal cities to population centers. If a high-speed rail network is expanded, the Container Traffic at the Port of Marseille; Source: PAM

2025 On a vacation to escape the hot, dry summer of Madrid, Sofia returned to her native Portugal. From her airplane window, she looked down at her country and noticed hectares of large power-

European Diagonal

following populations could be within four hours of travel from the Iberian cities: 16 million people will be within reach from Lisbon, 32 million within reach of Madrid, and 29 million to Barcelona. 25 At the same time, a range of significant environmental and climate issues could be more effectively addressed at the scale of the Diagonal. Issues such as watershed protection for the Tagus and other river basins generally need to be considered on a regional rather than local level in order to yield benefits.

Each city may support enhanced connectivity for a variety reasons. For Lisbon, increasing cooperation with Madrid could provide a link to the rest of continental Europe and combat feelings of marginalization. Madrid, in seeking to become a leading world city, could benefit from Lisbon’s ties to the Brazilian market as well as gain greater access to workers and markets throughout the peninsula.

Barcelona could become a stronger transportation hub while also cultivating its niche as a creative European center. All three cities could benefit economically from emphasizing their attractive climate and appealing Iberian lifestyle.

The Mediterranean and Milanese Gateway The three major constituent cities in this chain of cities—Barcelona, Marseille and Milan—all have strong connections to their respective nations’ capital cities. In terms of Europe’s port cities, Barcelona’s port is strong in container traffic, while Marseille’s port is strong in petroleum movement.

Additionally, Milan has strong economic connections to Northern Europe and the rest of the globe as the fashion and design capital of the world. The current linkages between these three cities, however, can be improved.

Barcelona, Marseille and Milan also have significant immigrant populations, ranging from approximately five percent of the population in Barcelona to nearly ten percent in Marseille and Milan.26 Immigrants arrive in this chain of cities to

The Diagonal’s Future Alfama Quarter of Lisbon

generating windmills. As she approached the coast, she noticed structures built into the water to transform the power of the Atlantic Ocean into electrical power to light up the Iberian Peninsula.

With knowledge gained from University and work experience, Sofia synthesized her observations through her personal experience of inter-city collaboration.

While in the sky, she reflected on the changes that have occurred in five short years and looked forward to a bright and prosperous future both for herself and her Iberian homeland.

Europe’s Ports to the World

seek new opportunities, providing these cities with additions to the regional labor pool.

The emerging twenty-first century global economy has shifted the focus of economic competition from intra-continental to inter-continental; instead of European markets competing with each other, Europe is competing with markets on other continents.27

fashion-related activities in Europe and indeed, the world. The ports of Barcelona, Marseille and Genoa provide relatively easy access to goods and trade from Asia, South America and North Africa. The Port of Marseilles in particular is currently undergoing modernization and expansion and has the possibility to become a major container port.

In characterizing the relationship between Barcelona, Marseille, Milan and their intervening cities, it is important to understand the concept of the supply chain, or logistics network. The supply chain describes networks of organizations, suppliers and infrastructure that transform raw materials into finished products and deliver these finished products to customers.

Participants in the supply chain include design and financing firms, materials suppliers, transport companies, ports, and the final customers. Keeping this concept in mind, Barcelona, Marseille, Milan and their intervening cities form a “Mediterranean and Milanese Gateway.”

With a similar role in the Western United States, Southern California plans to leverage its position as a major port on the US Pacific Coast as a new employment base for unskilled workers. Lower-level logistics employment requires little prior skill and provides many opportunities for upward mobility within the industry.28 Like Southern California’s port, the Mediterranean and Milanese Gateway can set up logistics and distribution networks to support goods movement in the new European economy. Milan can continue in its role as the world’s design and fashion capital; the concepts and designs originating from Milan can be the goods that arrive in Europe through the Gateway ports for consumption throughout the Continent.

This Gateway concept could allow these cities to become a corridor for European trade with emerging markets in Asia, South America and North Africa. Milan has the highest concentration of design and

The Port of Rotterdam is at capacity and cannot expand;29 the Mediterranean and Milanese Gateway can provide the necessary port capacity and logistics network to complement the existing goods

2010 A message was sent to the Madrid office of TransPort: Rotterdam’s Europort was experiencing one of its frequent delays, as container ships queued up in the North Sea and freight trains waited on sidings near the highly congested port.

Incoming ships from Brazil and North Africa chartered by TransPort would have to wait for days if they proceeded to Rotterdam. Luckily, TransPort had invested millions of euros to upgrade the Ports of Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, and Lisbon. The company would have no problem rerouting their ships from Rotterdam to these modern Southern European ports.

2015 With the port of Rotterdam having reached capacity five years earlier, the port network of southern Europe, stretching from Genoa to Lisbon, flourished and became the primary entry point for goods and energy coming from South America and North Africa. Fortunately, these port cities had realized back in 2010 that they needed to put competition aside and work together to develop a modern port network to allow them to compete with and surpass Rotterdam.

2022 Twelve years after joining forces to form the Southern European Port Network, the

19

The European Diagonal of today is traversed mainly by air with the cities standing alone as economic islands; Source: Systematica spa, Fabio Casiroli

20

European Diagonal

The future of the European Diagonal with high speed rail provides a strong physical connection between the cities; Source: Systematica spa, Fabio Casiroli

21

ports of Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona and Lisbon have continued to expand, with each finding its own niche. Container goods from Asia flow through the Suez Canal to Genoa and Barcelona. Natural gas is routed from North Africa into Marseille, where old oil pipelines were transformed to accept liquefied natural gas. Marseille has become the entry point for natural gas coming into Europe from North Africa.

Barcelona continues to expand its bulk goods port, where non-container goods enter Europe. The largest expansion has been in Lisbon, where the language and cultural commonalities have allowed Brazilian companies and goods to quickly and inexpensively enter the European market. After a generation of rapid growth, Brazil’s economy has become the world’s fifth largest in the world, as it eclipsed China and India as a low-cost production center for manufactured goods.

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movement networks in Northern Europe so that Europe can compete as a whole in the global economy.

The Mediterranean and Milanese Gateway could provide Europe with easier and quicker access to goods from Asia and Latin America. Establishing a logistics network around each of these ports could provide stable, well-paying jobs with potential for advancement. This Gateway strategy would strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in the twenty-first century global economy.

Endnotes 1 Eurostat. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu, visited April 2007.

2 “Madrid Economy 2006”, http://www.esmadrid. com, p. 4.

3 Eurostat. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu, visited April 2007.

4 Id. and “Madrid Economy,” http://www.esmadrid.com, p. 10.

5 “Forbes 2000 Largest Public Companies”, http:// www.forbes.com/2006/03/29/06f2k_worldslargest-public-companies_land.html, visited April 2007.

6 “Lisbon: Overview”, http://www.usatoday.com/ marketplace/ibi/lisbon.htm, visited April 2007.

7 Interview with Afonso O’Neill, Parque Expo, March 4, 2007.

8 “Madrid Economy 2006”, http://www.esmadrid. com, p. 4.

9 Id. at p. 10.

10 Id at p. 22.

11 Eurostat. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu, visited April 2007.

12 Flightstats, http://www.flightstats.com, visited Feb. 2007.

13 “Madrid Economy 2006,” http://www.esmadrid. com, visited April 2007 14 United Nations Environmental Programme, http://www.grid.unep.ch/product/publication/ freshwater_europe/tagus.php, visited April 2007.

15 Eurostat. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu, visited April 2007.

16 Id. 17 “Madrid Economy 2006”, http://www.esmadrid. com, p. 10.

18 Id. 19 Id. 20 Id. at p. 16.

21 Government of Catalonia, http://www.cidem. com/catalonia/en/about/foreign/index.jsp, visited April 2007.

22 Cushman & Wakefield, “European Cities Monitor 2006”, http://www.cushmanwakefield.com, p. 9.

23 Id at pp. 13 and 31.

24 Flightstats, http://www.flightstats.com, visited Feb. 2007.

25 Fabio Casiroli, presentation, Madrid, March 7, 2007.

A Moroccan Immigrant in Barcelona

26 Globalization, Urbanization, and Migration.

Official Globalization, Urbanization, and Migration Website. 2004. 7 Mar. 2007. <http://www. gstudynet.org/gum/> 27 Shih, Joshu. Interview with Jean-Claude Tourret.

9 Mar. 2007.

28 Husing, John E. “Logistics & Distribution: An Answer to Regional Upward Social Mobility.”

Southern California Association of Governments Website. 9 Jun. 2004. 7 Mar. 2007. <http://www. scag.ca.gov/goodsmove/pdf/HusingLogisticsReport.pdf>, p. 13–20.

29 Port of Rotterdam. “Maasvlakte 2: Top Location on the North Sea.” Port of Rotterdam Official Website. 2007. 7 Mar. 2007. <http://www.portofrotterdam.com/en/port_authority/current_themes/maasvlakte_2/index.jsp>

European Diagonal

Beyond Madrid

GREATER MADRID REGION Objective The Greater Madrid Region (GMR) is a dynamic and fast-growing region of Spain. The Comunidad de Madrid and the surrounding provinces of Avila, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Segovia, and Toledo are within the GMR. Population increases, economic growth, and improvements in transportation are beginning to link these provinces together in new ways. The Beyond Madrid Regional Framework presents an exploration into long-term regional planning for the year 2030; planning that can enhance these linkages and result in sustainable prosperity for the entire region.

People and businesses are attracted to the GMR because of its combination of worldclass economic, cultural and infrastructure assets. Within the region are the capital city of Madrid, many cultural and world

heritage sites, transportation networks, and institutions of higher education.

The region is also centrally located in the Iberian Peninsula with excellent air connections to northern and eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. While population growth in Europe is declining, the GMRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population growth is fueled by immigration. By collectively leveraging these elements and other assets of the region, the GMR has the opportunity for sustained growth and potential to become a vibrant polycentric region. The purpose of the Beyond Madrid Framework is to outline alternative strategies that Madrid can employ to accommodate the next generation of growth. If the region pursues these strategies, by 2030, the GMR could become a European model for effective regional planning, sustainable population and economic growth, and climate, environmental, and social inclusion policies.

residents, totaling 9.3 million people by 2030. Beyond Madrid focuses on planning for growth in Madrid and anticipating the effects on provinces surrounding the Comunidad. Madridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall success is linked to the health and success of the regional system. The GMR has the resources and assets to become one of the greatest regions in Europe, the anchor of the Iberian Peninsula, and Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier gateway city to Latin America and Africa.

As the region continues to grow, interprovincial cooperation will be critical.

The GMR will add more than 2.0 million

Cross-border regional planning is needed to manage this rapidly changing area. A plan for managing success can minimize

Segovia

Pursuing these goals will affect the entire region. Population and economic growth should be shared by all cities in the GMR through strengthened transportation and economic links throughout the region.

Polycentric growth will enable all cities to benefit economically, increase housing choice, and distribute clusters of excellence.

This approach to planning would ensure that the growth in Madrid continues in new patterns that benefit the entire region.

!

Avila

Guadalajara

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!

Cuenca

!

Talavera de la Reina

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Toledo

50 km radius !

60 km radius

25 km radius

70 km radius

100 km radius

Greater Madrid Regiond 0

12.5 25

50

75

Kilometers 100

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GREATER MADRID REGION :: GEOGRAPHY WITH HIGH SPEED RAIL TO BILBAO

1H

TO SALAMANCA

TO BARCELONA

30 M IN

SEGOVIA

GUADALAJARA

AVILA

TO LISBON

OU R

MADRID

TALAVERA

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CUENCA TO VALENCIA

TOLEDO

TO SEVILLE

POTENTIAL FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

WORLD HERITAGE CITY

the negative effects of rapid growth and make prosperity more equitable. Managing success also means addressing regional issues collectively. Economic, social, and environmental sustainability should be addressed cooperatively to reduce the negative impacts of poorly planned growth.

For example, the GMR faces several important issues related to climate change and energy use, which need to be addressed at this larger regional scale. Effective regional planning can help craft more effective solutions to these issues, direct growth, and ensure that the character of individual communities is preserved.

Other European cities, such as London and Paris, have already recognized the strong relationship between cities and regions. Regional plans and institutions in Southeastern England surrounding London and the Ile-de-France region

UNIVERSITY TOWN

NETWORK CONNECTOR KNOWLEDGE CORRIDOR

surrounding Paris have been able to engage regional communities to plan for long-term, mutually beneficial growth. The Beyond Madrid Framework can help the GMR avoid the unwanted results of de facto regional planning. Uncoordinated efforts on environmental issues, transportation, and economic development will undercut the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality of life and economic potential. Additionally, a number of world cities are advancing strategies to promote polycentric regional development to enhance their competitiveness and meet other mobility, climate and social inclusion goals. Beyond Madrid can help inform policies and planning to strengthen the competitiveness of the GMR within the globalizing economy.

The Beyond Madrid Regional Framework is intended to stimulate debate about the plans and institutions

European Diagonal

needed to shape Madridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. If some of these options are carried out, Madrid could become a model for regional planning and sustainable growth in other cities in the European Diagonal. Creating detailed policies and plans for the area will require the involvement, commitment, vision, and investment of regional stakeholders.

Beyond Madrid Toledo

Talavera de la Reina

Cuenca

Satellite Cities

of the same name and the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It is also home to more than 75,000 people.

The city lies about 70 km south of Madrid, one hour by regional rail and only 35 minutes by high-speed rail. Toledo is of particular historical significance as it is the former capital of Spain and its old city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. This extensive historic city center that includes the cathedral, the Alcázar, and the Zocodover, the central marketplace dominates the city.

Europe. The ceramics industry continues to be important today. Additionally, manufacturing and commerce are important sectors in the economy (textiles, furniture, agricultural machinery, cattle).

The Greater Madrid Region consists of the Comunidad and six major “satellite cities” that, as a result of improved regional rail links and regional growth, are being pulled into Madrid’s “orbit.” This report outlines ways that these places can become engaged in the economy and life of the GMR while preserving their unique identities.

Castile-La Mancha Four of the six cities in the Greater Madrid Region are located in Castile-La Mancha: Toledo, Talavera de la Reina, Cuenca and Guadalajara. Castile-La Mancha is the third-largest autonomous community and one of the most sparsely populated, with about four and a half percent of Spain’s population.

The landscape of Castile-La Mancha has two distinguishing features: an expansive plateau with few mountains and a mountainous area that encircles the plateau around the borders that Castile-La Mancha shares with its neighbors. These mountainous areas receive ample rainfall. The northern part of the central plateau has a more continental climate, while the lower part of the plateau is more Mediterranean. Three important rivers run through the region. The Tajo winds its way westwards through Madrid, Extremadura and Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. The Guadiana heads west through Extremadura and Portugal, also emptying into the Atlantic. Finally, the Júcar River runs eastward to the Gulf of Valencia and on to the Mediterranean Sea. Toledo is both the capital of the province

The old city was built on a mountain in a bend of the Tajo River, which surrounds the city on three sides and now constrains development. The historic center is disconnected from new development below, relies heavily on tourism, and is congested with vehicles. To address some of these issues, the City Council of Toledo built an escalator project to connect the historic core with the outside. This facility provides greater access to the historic core for both tourists and workers who live outside of the center.

Talavera de la Reina, about 110 km west of Madrid, was settled on the banks of the Tajo River and is surrounded by mountains, the Sierra de Gredos. It is the largest city in Toledo province, with over 90,000 inhabitants. There are two islands in the center of the city, one of which is a Mediterranean forest. The city straddles the river and is connected by three bridges, one of which was built by the Romans. There are Roman, Muslim, and Christian ruins in the city. Since the 15th century, the city has been known for its pottery and tiles, which were used in museums and palaces all over

Great potential exists to continue to expand a linear open space system with the existing Alameda Park that is connected to a new riverfront walk and plaza overlook via the Roman-built bridge. The local university— opened in1994—and a planned highspeed rail connection to Madrid and Lisbon will further growth potential. The linear structure of Talavera on the banks of the river gives it growth flexibility and possibilities.

Cuenca, the smallest of the satellite cities with a population around 50,000, lies about 160 km from Madrid. This Medieval city is built on a hilltop, lies between the Huécar and Júcar Rivers and is surrounded by magnificent landscapes. The old city, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, is home to the only Anglo-Norman Gothic cathedral in Spain and the “hanging houses” that dangle above the river.

The city is separated from sheer, rocky cliffs by deep ravines, creating dramatic and stunning views and development and growth difficulties. The modern half of the city has spilled down the hillside, where tower blocks and large apartment buildings spread out. A planned high-speed rail route from Madrid to Valencia through Cuenca would put Cuenca only 45 minutes from both cities. This HSR plan, the University of Castile-La Mancha campus and technology and innovation initiatives that are already planned give Cuenca great potential to

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Guadalajara

26

grow and to manage this growth in order to preserve its unique old city and enhance the new.

Guadalajara is the capital of the province of the same name. The city is located approximately 58 km northeast of Madrid on the Henares River, about one hour and fifteen minutes outside the center of Madrid.

The capital city accounts for 40 percent of the provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population with 76,061 people. Of the cities in the Greater Madrid Region, Guadalajara has experienced the most relative growth. The municipality responded to the increase in population by implementing urban development plans that will accommodate 30,000 additional people in new districts such as Ciudad Valdeluz. Located adjacent to the N-320 highway and the new Guadalajara-Yebes AVE station, the development of this new district will occur in several phases, with the first generating 9,500 houses.

The AVE station will connect the city to Zaragoza, Barcelona and eventually to the French high-speed network. Originating in Madrid, the high-speed train between Madrid and Guadalajara will be a twentyminute tripâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one-fourth the current travel time. The impact of the high-speed train on housing prices in the new developments has been dramatic, changing Guadalajara from one of the least expensive provinces in Spain for home ownership to having the third most expensive square meter cost of all Spanish provinces.

Technology and Innovation Development in Castile-La Mancha Traditionally, the economy of CastileLa Mancha has been largely driven by agriculture, mainly cotton, grapes, wheat, saffron, sunflowers and livestock. While

agriculture constitutes only 3.5 percent of the national GDP, higher levels of employment are allocated to agricultural activities. In an increasingly global economy where communication and connectivity take precedence over physical location and knowledge and education are highly valued commodities, investment in technology, research and knowledge sectors are critical. The success and growth of Madrid can be strengthened and optimized by simultaneously strengthening and diversifying the economies of the cities within the region. Innovation hubs in cities like Talavera de la Reina and Guadalajara and research centers in cities with universities such as Segovia and Toledo could benefit not only the economies of the cities themselves and the regional economy as a whole but could also alleviate growth pressures in Madrid and lift quality of life standards for all in the region.

The Castile-La Mancha Government has initiated a scientific and technical policy project, designed to promote research and competitive, sustainable development. A Science and Technology advisory body is developing and implementing projects, initiatives and programs to encourage an innovative research culture in Castile-La Mancha. It aims to stimulate interaction between components of the Science Technology Business system, encourage development and distribution of scientific knowledge and research while meeting the technical demands of the production sectors themselves. The goals set out by the Castile-La Mancha Science and Technology advisory body in the short and medium-term are to promote creation and improvement of infrastructures, a research and innovation culture, and to increase the scientific and technological capabilities in the area. Other plans to achieve this and support private-public partnerships include Regional Plan for Innovation in Castile-La Mancha (PRICAMAN) and Regional Plan for Scientific Research and Technological Development (PRICYT).1 Innovation centers Castile-La Mancha

of

University

The University of Castile-La Mancha has

European Diagonal

four Innovation Centers, as well as research departments on the Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo campuses: the Institute of Regional Development in Albacete, the Center for Scientific Instrumentation, Analysis and Technology in Ciudad Real, the Institute for Research into Hunting Resources in Ciudad Real and the International Museum of Electrophotography in Cuenca.

New Technology Centers in Talavera de la Reina and Guadalajara These centers, equipped with the latest communications technology, will house entrepreneurial business activities in the technology sector to implement their ideas. The new technology centers will have administrative and economic services and facilities shared by all the businesses, to keep maintenance costs at a minimum. They will also have advisory services for marketing and promotion methods. In these centers,

Albacete campus

business people can set up their projects for a four-year period to allow them to develop and strengthen. These projects will in turn create a suitable environment to allow new activities in the emerging information and communication technology sector to flourish.

Castile-La Mancha Design Center at Cuenca The Castile-La Mancha Design Center at Cuenca will become a promotion center able to offer a wide range of services to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) from services for managing an industrial or graphical design project, to distribution and awareness-raising work, and including organizing designer, manager and technical staff training for businesses and entrepreneurial nursery facilities.

Beyond Madrid Local Centers for Innovation and Economic Promotion In Castile-La Mancha, a network of local Innovation and Economic Promotion Centers (CLIPE) has been formed to provide advice to businesses to develop their activities, expand the culture of innovation in the business network, promote economic support from public authorities, provide training and foster cooperation and coordination among businesses and technology consultancy bodies. Guadalajara is home to a CLIPE. The city of Segovia is located within Castile and León, the largest autonomous community in Spain. The capital city accounts for 35 percent of the province of Segovia’s population, with 75,269 people.

The E-80, the main road connecting Portugal and the rest of Europe, crosses through the region. Segovia’s Old City and its aqueduct are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making this city a very important tourist destination in Spain.

Segovia is located approximately 90 km north of Madrid, on the other side of the Sierra de Guadarrama, putting it two hours outside the center of Madrid. The inauguration of the Madrid-Segovia-Valladolid high-speed rail line will put the city one half hour away from Madrid on a track designed for 350 km/h train operation. This new rail

Segovia

line is one of the biggest civil engineering projects in the country, tunneling through the Guadarrama mountain range and the Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares.

Great plans are on the way to redeveloping the city of Segovia with Segópolis, a nonprofit organization established to help bring its metropolitan planning vision to fruition and contribute to the planning and economic development of Segovia. One of the goals of this organization is to build a society that fosters creativity and living together, along with cultural and economic development. An organization such as this can assist in helping Segovia grow as a university centered research hub.

The city of Ávila is located 130 km west of Madrid in Castile and León, one hour and thirty minutes outside of Madrid. Future plans exist for a high-speed rail connection to Ávila , Salamanca and beyond to Portugal that would bring the travel time between Madrid and Ávila down to fifty minutes. Like Guadalajara, the high-speed rail station will not be located within the city center but in a nearby municipality some 30 kilometers away. With the growing population in the Greater Madrid Region, the possibility for expanding the city with new developments presents the potential for Ávila to absorb some of Madrid’s population growth.

At more than 1,100 meters above sea level, it is the highest capital in Spain, giving it an extreme climate, with cold, long winters and short summers. Ávila’s city wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts many tourists annually.

Major improvements are occurring within Ávila: the Universidad Católica de Ávila recently expanded its campus, and the Chamber of Commerce anticipates that the development of the Centro Municipal de Congresos y Exposiciones, an exhibition and conference center, will become an important tourist information center.

Ávila de los Caballeros

Existing conditions Population Fueled by rapid economic expansion and both domestic and international immigration, Madrid is one of the fastestgrowing regions in Europe. People are attracted to the area as a major center for finance, culture, and government in Southern Europe. The Comunidad of Madrid has grown by 44 percent over the past 30 years. Despite having only 13 percent of the national population, the Comunidad attracted 25 percent of the national population growth since 1970.2 Today, this growth is spilling beyond the borders of the Comunidad into the surrounding provinces of Guadalajara and Toledo. Both economic growth and advances in transportation have allowed cities in these adjoining provinces to share in Madrid’s prosperity and growth resulting in the extended decentralization of population and jobs from the City of Madrid to the surrounding provinces.

However, the growth of the surrounding provinces is most acute in the provincial capitals immediately surrounding Madrid, some of which have more than doubled in population over a 10-year period.

Projections of the regional population show that by 2030, the Comunidad of Madrid could grow nearly 30 percent to 7.6 million people. The five surrounding provinces will total nearly 2 million people and will grow at a faster rate than the Comunidad. The overall trend is thus outward growth. The Comunidad itself can become much more

27

Percent Change Madrid Population Density Change 1991-2000d

1991 - 2001

Burgos Soria

Zamora

Valladolid

5% - 33%

< -5%

33% - 67%

-5% - 0%

67% - 100%

0% - 5%

> 100%

Zaragoza

Segovia

Segovia

Guadalajara

Salamanca Guadalajara

Avila

Ávila

Madrid

Teruel

Madrid

Cuenca Talavera Toledo

Cuenca Toledo

28

Cáceres Badajoz

Ciudad Real 0 15 30

heavily urbanized while cities not typically considered part of Madrid will be firmly within the region’s orbit.

Foreign Population Spain has seen an influx of immigrants over the past fifteen years. Between 1991 and 2001, the foreign-born population in Spain grew almost five times, from 353,367 to 1,572,013, with the Greater Madrid Region attracting much of the growth. Since the early 1990s, the GMR has experienced significant growth, with the Comunidad de Madrid absorbing much of the immigrants.

This region is the second-most popular area for legal immigrants behind Catalonia.

An influx of immigrants to the GMR has been advantageous in many ways. Unlike other regions in Europe, the GMR is facing population growth rather than decline.

60

90

120 Kilometers

[

The slight rise in Spain’s fertility rate, to the current rate of 1.28, is also attributed to the foreign population. The growth of Spaniards with dual nationalities or nonnative heritage will continue to expand as births to foreign mothers accounted for 15 percent of all births in the province of Madrid (2005).

Due to population growth, the GMR has a ready pool of workers to fill positions, instead of the shortage of talent that the European Union is facing. Most immigrants are young, productive, and therefore not a drain on healthcare or welfare resources. The most predominant nationalities in the GMR are Ecuadorian, Moroccan, Columbian, and Romanian.

These nationalities also represent the most prevalent age group of foreigners, the 25 to 34 cohort. With many more working years ahead of them, this group of foreign workers

European Diagonal

is also supporting the aging population with retirement and pension benefits.

The Greater Madrid Region represents one of Europe’s success stories in integrating immigrants into the mainstream of the region’s economy, providing the region with an unparalleled opportunity to capitalize on the growth of its foreign-born population and fully incorporate them into a long-term economic growth strategy. As a region with a world-class city, immigrants should be viewed as an asset. Unfortunately, many immigrants face discrimination and xenophobia daily. Increasing tension about illegal immigration, unemployment, and religious differences have perpetuated intolerance within the GMR. Multicultural cities like New York and London have long recognized immigrants as one of their greatest assets and have worked to reduce barriers to full participation by immigrants

Beyond Madrid Foreign Population Entering the GMR, 2005 7,599

25

53,708 60,796

Non EU Europe EU 25 Africa Americas 15,623

17,731

in their economies. Social cohesion policies that recognize the advantages of inclusion, equity, and diversity of foreign populations can help create solidarity and benefit the economy.

Asia Oceania

Economy

in 2003. As the financial capital, the largest banks in Spain and Latin America have their head offices in Madrid. The Madrid Stock Exchange is also becoming one of the most important in Europe. Of the 35 companies included in the Ibex-35, twenty-five have head offices in Madrid.

As the governmental and financial center of Spain, the GMR has a robust economy.

The Comunidad de Madrid serves as a focal point as it is the wealthiest autonomous community in Spain. It receives the largest amount of foreign direct investment, capturing 62 percent of the national total

Although Madrid has experienced much of the economic growth, the entire GMR is benefiting from favorable conditions.

From 2001 to 2004, all provinces had gross domestic product growth higher than 23 percent. Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Segovia had the highest rates of increase. Residents

LOGISTICS & TRANSPORTATION IN THE GMR As the center of the peninsula, with great connections to Europe, Latin America, and North Africa, the GMR has one of the greatest distribution potentials. Excellent transportation linkages by air, road, and rail have minimized the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inland disadvantage. The city of Madrid is also becoming the prime location for merchandise transport in Spain.

Intermodal transport and facilities that are close to one another enhance the synergies amongst the logistics sector and provide opportunities for future growth. The Madrid Logistic Platform Association aims to turn the area into the largest intermodal logistics platform in Southern Europe with a total area of 450 acres.

Madrid receives 60% of the international merchandise arriving in Spain.

Logistic Centers Mercamadrid â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fresh food business center and physical wholesale market - Second largest food outlet in Europe, largest in Spain - Houses more than 600 businesses - Largest fish market after Tokyo Madrid Puerto Seco â&#x20AC;&#x201C; largest inland maritime site in Europe - The Dry Dock acts as a maritime customs port - One fifth of all merchandise reaching Spain by sea passes through Seco Madrid Barajas Airport Air Freight Center -- Intermodal Land-to-Air distribution site -- Allows integration and collaboration of all operators in one setting

Source: Universidad Autonoma de

29

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Collectively, the economy of the GMR is very strong; however, differences do exist between provinces. GDP derived from the service sector dominates in all regions, yet Cuenca and Toledo have the most productive agricultural sector. In terms of employment, the service sector dominates but the industrial sector is second in providing jobs for the GMR. A dynamic construction sector has also contributed greatly to the growth of the GMR. Currently, it represents 9 percent of the total GDP and employs 11 percent of the workforce. Growth in residential, commercial, and transportation related projects have fueled the expansion of this sector over the last decade.

The region is also a center of innovation,

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of the region are also profiting with much of the region seeing an increase in disposable income of at least 20 percent between 2001 and 2005.

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research, and design. With over 18 public and private universities in the GMR, the ample amount of talent is attracting new businesses. Comparatively, the costs of doing business are lower than peer cities like London and Paris. Average salaries are lower than most European countries, as are office rents and telecommunication costs.

Transportation The transportation infrastructure of the GMR has placed it in the forefront of world city-regions and helped promote the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic vitality. Excellent air, rail, and road access provide greater opportunities for domestic and international connections.

Policies and investments in these systems have helped to build a cohesive region and increase mobility for GMR residents.

Public transportation is vital in building a successful regional system and is a main factor in territorial cohesion. Maintaining connections with the outside world is also

European Diagonal

0

12.5 25

50

75

Kilometers !

100 !

an important aspect of public transport.

Designed to handle 70 million passengers annually, Barajas Airport serves as the air transport hub of the region. The airport is currently the fifth-largest in Europe for the number of passengers and ninth in tons of airfreight. Internationally, Barajas is the major hub for Spain, capturing 62 percent of all non-EU transport in the country.

The expansion and improvement of Barajas operations has meant increased visibility and greater integration of the GMR onto the world stage.

Communities in the GMR are taking advantage of increased international presence and mobility in the region.

Investments in public transport have gone beyond the airport to facilitate connections within the region and with the rest of Spain.

The AVE national high-speed rail network has begun to connect the region and bring provincial capitals closer together. The AVE lines to Toledo and Guadalajara are complete, while the lines to Segovia

Beyond Madrid

The AVE also presents exciting possibilities for international passenger and freight movement. Unlike the rest of Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s broad gauge network, the standard gauges of the AVE will allow for direct connections outside of Spain. Currently, intercontinental railway freight is limited by gauge incompatibility, with the exception of Portugal.

The RENFE national railway network connects the provinces of the GMR to Madrid. These lines are not considered high speed rail, but have been upgraded to provide clean, comfortable, and reliable service.

The Regional Transportation Consortium of Madrid (CRTM) complements the national system by organizing multimodal transportation to 176 municipalities within the GMR. The CRTM coordinates several modes of transportation for many communities in the GMR and could be expanded to organize a system that covers the entire region. Interurban buses, RENFE, intra-urban buses, and the Metro are coordinated by CRTM to create a system that uses integrated multimodal travel passes.

RENFE Cercanias, the metropolitan rail network, has 12 lines in the GMR. The Metro also connects many of these lines to the city of Madrid. Expansion of the Metro outside of Madrid city limits first occurred in 1999 to provide transportation into the city and combat the use of private transportation.

forces is making trips by automobile more popular. Roadways are being constructed or extended, affordable housing is farther from urban cores, and higher income levels are promoting car ownership and demand for larger suburban homes.

Fuel consumption has also been increasing by 10 percent every year. Due to increasing automobile use, air quality and congestion is worsening in some areas. Emission levels have steadily increased, with some exceeding EU limits. By 2010, emissions for the most problematic pollutants, nitrogen oxide, and fine particles are required to be under EU levels. Strategies to bring the GMR into compliance could include discouraging car use, reducing roadway projects, and focusing funding toward mass transit solutions.

Environment, Energy and Climate

rate of car ownership; in 2001, it was 527.4 cars per 1,000 inhabitants; already well over national and European Union levels.

While industry also contributes to air quality issues, motorized transport has the most damaging effects. Although emissions of sulfur dioxide have decreased dramatically due to the switch to unleaded gasoline in 2001, Spain still produces three to five times more SO2 per capita than France, Italy, or Germany.

Currently, the most problematic pollutants in the region are nitrogen oxide and particulate matter (PM). The nitrogen oxide from motorized vehicles is oxidized and changes into nitrogen dioxide. NO2 levels exceeded daily and annual limits in many parts of the GMR for 2004 levels and are set to exceed EU 2010 standards.

NO2 also assists chemical reactions for the production of ground-level ozone and small particulates. The major source for particulate matter comes from solid fuel combustion in automobiles.

Air Quality Urban growth, decentralization, and prosperity in the Greater Madrid Region Source: Ecologistas en Accion (GMR) have led to a significant increase www.ecologistasenaccion.org in private carAiruse.

This Report has led, in turn, to These chemicals and others are decreasing Title: Madrid Quality increases in road traffic and air pollution, the quality of life in the GMR, increasing Jan-05 diminishing Madridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality of life. EU health problems, and threatening sensitive Air Quality Standards 2010 set emission cultural heritage. Children and asthmatics 2003 sensitive 2004to nitrogen dioxide levels for all air pollutants, but 2001 these levels2002 are most NO2 Concentration 63 62 59 61 are being exceeded in the GMR. This is because it harms the deepest areas of the Particulate Matter (PM) 58 52 70 59 directly related to the Comunidadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high lungs, while particulates are linked to

Nitrogen Dioxide (No2) Annual Average Limits in Madrid

80 70 NO2 Concentration (ug/m 3)

and Cuenca are under construction. By 2020, the national government aims to have 10,000 kilometers of high-speed rail throughout the country, including a line to Avila. Once completed, the capitals of all the autonomous communities in Spain will be within fours of Madrid. National airport-to-airport traffic, such as the heavily-trafficked Madrid-Barcelona route, could be largely replaced by the AVE upon completion.

60

63

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59

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In 2010, annual limits cannot exceed 40 ug/m3

40 30 20 10

The increasing use of automobiles and trucks threatens environmental sustainability and livability of the GMR. Even though public transportation is ample, a variety of

0 2001

2002

2003

2004

31

increase in total mortality and lung cancer.

Air pollution causes 80,000 deaths per year in the European Union. It also threatens monuments and heritage sites, as chemicals released from automobile emissions can corrode materials exposed to open air and increase vulnerability to humidity. As home to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites and other irreplaceable cultural assets, as well as 7.2 million people,3 the GMR needs to reduce pollutants in the air.

32

Energy As Spain has grown in both population and income, it has displayed a voracious appetite for new energy supplies; between 1990 and 2000, energy demand grew by 50 percent, the fourth highest in the EEA-17,4 The growth in demand closely corresponds to increases in both population and income, as the cost of energy relative to GDP has remained relatively constant. In addition, Spain’s energy infrastructure is highly dependent on imported sources, with nearly 80 percent of energy imported.

This combination of dependence and increasing demand has prompted Spain to

invest in domestic energy production, and concerns about climate change have focused those investments on renewable sources.

In 2005, the Spanish government developed a strategy for greater energy independence and reducing carbon emissions: the Plan for Renewable Energy (PER). The PER uses public finance, regulatory incentives and target levels to promote renewable energy throughout Spain. The goal set by the PER is to double the production of renewable energy from 6.6 percent of total energy in 2003 to 12.1 percent by 2010. Public financing of about €680 million has been committed to the program, which has leveraged more than €23 billion in renewable energy investments and capital improvements.

Wind turbines produce the majority of new renewable energy in Spain. As recently as 1990, Spain had only 7 megawatts of energy produced from wind, but by 2004 that number had mushroomed to 8,154 megawatts and is on track to reach the 2010 target of more than 20,000 megawatts. This

tremendous growth has placed Spain second only to Germany in global wind energy production. Most of this new energy has been utilized for electricity. In 2003, the EU produced 15.5 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, while Spain produced almost 22 percent of its electricity from hydropower, wind, and other renewable sources. The PER sets a target of 29 percent for electricity produced from renewable sources. Spain’s largest wind installations are in Navarre, Galicia, Aragon, and Castile.

By setting aggressive but realistic goals and providing strategic funding that leverages private investment, Spain is well on track to become a world leader in renewable production. Nonetheless, they have been picking from the “low-hanging fruit” by focusing on wind power and electricity production. It is unclear whether the targets of the PER will be sufficient, given the incredible growth in energy demand, which is projected to continue. On the horizon, Spain has the potential to enter untapped markets in local energy production.

Most of Spain’s climate is conducive to both large scale and local decentralized solar power, though high costs relative to wind have stalled its implementation.

Finally, hydrocarbon consumption, particularly in the transport sector, must be addressed. Transportation is the single largest sector of energy use in Spain, and it will continue to grow as automobile use increases. Coordinated planning and land use decisions are essential to reducing the need to drive and thereby, the demand for hydrocarbon-based energy.

Endnotes 1 http://cordis.europa.eu/spain/castillalamancha. htm 2 Needs a footnote here 3 The GMR had 7.2 million residents as of 2005.

4 Ireland was number one

European Diagonal

Beyond Madrid Sprawl Scenario

SEGOVIA GUADALAJARA AVILA

CUENCA TALAVERA DE LA REINA

sprawl

TOLEDO

current

GROWTH SCENARIOS Sprawl As Madrid moves into the top tier of world cities, it stands out among its peers as having no regional planning for its broader metropolitan region. In a recent survey of the region’s governmental and business leaders, there was widespread agreement that no vision existed for Madrid’s future.

This is especially problematic in light of Madrid’s rapid recent growth of 9 percent in the 10-year period between 1991 and 2001. Madrid is the fastest-growing major metropolitan area in Europe, and with little vision or growth strategy, it will continue to follow its current default pattern of urban sprawl.

Infrastructure investments that open areas at the city’s fringe to development will also encourage sprawl development, as opposed to more targeted investments of transit-oriented development, which would promote more compact, land- and energy-efficient patterns of growth. Sprawl is an acknowledged issue across Europe, but often goes unrecognized due to the

city

greenspace

comparative density of European cities.

However, as cities in the United States have been attempting to shrink their urban footprint, the growing regions of Europe exhibit the opposite trend.

Urban sprawl is a fundamentally flawed settlement pattern. It utilizes more resources per person than compact development, radically increasing a region’s ecological footprint, even with no rise in standard of living. Sprawl requires greater autodependency, and increased driving creates more greenhouse gas emissions and more congestion on the region’s roadways. Madrid will be unable to meet its own climate targets, much less provide environmental leadership to the rest of Europe, unless it alters its land- and energy-consuming development patterns.

Sprawl also results in over-consumption of water and energy resources, which are in short supply; it also results in consumption of agricultural and natural lands. Sprawl increases air and water pollution. A sprawling Madrid threatens to undermine the quality of life for every resident, which in turn threatens the region’s economic competitiveness.

river

The Diagonal megaregion, especially Spain and Portugal, currently possess strong advantages in dealing with this issue. Madrid benefits from a strong existing framework of protected lands, especially in the Sierra de Guadarrama, which protects the region’s drinking water supply. Madrid also has strong legal protections for agricultural land and is careful about allowing development to replace it. However, due to the current growth trends, fragmented and sprawling development is beginning to occur. Contrary to traditionally compact settlement patterns, this is beginning to affect the urban landscape creating accessibility issues within the region.

The development of a regional plan that is organized around a long-term network of green infrastructure, transportation, and growth centers would create a framework for managed growth, enabling Madrid to reap the positive results of that growth while protecting its future.

Urban Infill For decades, Madrid has carried out an effective program of urban infill. The city should be strategic and intensify its infill

33

Infill Scenario

Prime locations for infill development include downtowns, transit corridors, and locations near employment, shopping, and recreational and cultural amenities.

SEGOVIA

Local governments offer infill incentives for a number of reasons:

GUADALAJARA AVILA

• CUENCA TALAVERA DE LA REINA

TOLEDO

• current

infill

city

greenspace

efforts, with the goal of accommodating a larger share of the region’s urban growth in inner-city locations with good transit accessibility. Strategic principles emphasize the creation of integrated, multi-use districts that blend housing, services, recreation, and jobs.

34

With the dispersion of traditional manufacturing and heavy industrial activities away from the urban core, like many other cities, Madrid has been left with large structures, unique buildings, low density, low use activities, and some brownfields.

•

•

With the expansion of the Madrid motorways, developers often overlooked these urban assets because it is easier and cheaper to develop on the urban fringe.

New motorways provide access to cheaper land and serve to drain the urban core of jobs, people, and residences. However, urban assets have a value that suburban development does not have: urban assets are connected into the existing infrastructure, including water supply lines, wastewater treatment, and mass transit systems.

Urban infill offers Madrid a unique opportunity to redevelop low-density, lowuse areas of the Comunidad. This will allow the GMR to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding population.Infill development and related “smart growth” strategies result in higher and better land use. Other benefits of these strategies include: •

Directing

growth

into

an

•

• • •

river

employment district along motorway corridors that can be harnessed into a tertiary core adjacent to existing mass transportation and along key transit routes (e.g. the proposed Atocha station redevelopment plan); Historic centers that can be preserved with a vital and diverse employment base; an opportunity that exists due to Madrid’s large service oriented economy; Live/work mixed-use development that helps reduce traffic congestion, saves time and reduces pollution; Prime agricultural land and sensitive watersheds on the edge of the Comunidad that can be preserved by diverting growth pressures to existing urban areas; A tax base that can be increased by elevating urban land values; Creating more affordable housing; Capital expenditures for infrastructure investments needed to support sprawl development can be avoided.

Infill development is also an important smart growth strategy that supports regional equity. It is not, however, always a developer's first choice. Local governments use infill incentives to promote the development of vacant land or the rehabilitation of existing structures in urbanized areas where infrastructure and services already exist.

European Diagonal

•

•

Infill development reuses properties that are underutilized or blighted, helping to serve as a catalyst for revitalization; Infill has the potential to boost jobs, purchasing power, and public amenities in urban core neighborhoods and generate tax dollars for local government; Infill housing is dense in comparison with housing in suburban areas and represents an effective way to meet a jurisdiction's affordable housing or population growth needs; Located in proximity to existing transit routes or within walking distance of services and entertainment, infill development can reduce auto use and accompanying congestion and pollution.

There are many challenges associated with infill development such as small, scattered parcels; complex title issues; outdated infrastructure; and environmental contamination, Developers often bypass urban infill for cheap, readily available suburban land. Given the extreme rise in land and housing prices within the core of Madrid, a strategy that offers incentives to promote infill development could contribute to a broader regional growth management strategy.

Infill incentives encourage development in already-urbanized areas that provide housing (both affordable and market rate) near job centers and transit. They also preserve open space and agricultural land at the urban fringe and capitalize on existing community assets such as parks, infrastructure, and transit. Finally, infill incentives could help create new community assets such as sports centers,

Beyond Madrid Smart Growth Scenario

cultural districts, and open fields, while mitigating the blight and crime associated with vacant and abandoned properties.

Examples of successful internationally renowned infill developments include: Shinjuku in Tokyo, Zuidas in Amsterdam, the London Docklands and Canary Wharf along the Thames in London.

SEGOVIA GUADALAJARA AVILA

Smart Growth

CUENCA

The ‘smart growth’ model for the GMR requires coordinated regional planning between the Comunidad and the following cities: Avila, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Segovia, Talavera de la Reina and Toledo.

This model provides a unique opportunity for a multitude of city centers to coordinate common issues such as immigration, transportation, land use, education, economic development, and the management of natural resources. This potential collective approach also provides a more appropriate scale to deal with supraregional issues such as global warming and social equity, which is difficult to address at the municipal level. A coordinated megacity region can powerfully respond to these threats with coordinated plans for reducing Current developed area

2030 Projected developed area: new population at current density

TALAVERA DE LA REINA

current

TOLEDO

infill

The smart growth model acknowledges the enormous projected population growth of the region and provides a vision for managing it. This model envisions all of Madrid’s neighboring cities as centers for population growth, relieving some of the growth pressure from Madrid while expanding the economies of the surrounding cities. This model also acknowledges that 2030 Projected developed area: new population at higher density

2030 Projected developed area: new population at higher density + infill

Cuenca

Toledo

Guadalajara Segovia Talavera Avila

Projected Developed Areas

greenspace

greenhouse gas emissions and integrating immigrants into the social fabric of the region.

Madrid

Projected total developed area

city

New developed area

river

green corridors

growth boundaries

several of these cities are significant in their own right, as World Heritage Sites, tourist destinations, and homes to hundreds of thousands of people. A coordinated regional plan that promotes growth in these cities must be carried out with sensitivity to their historical and social environments.

Such a plan also requires a coordinated regional economic development strategy.

Each of the satellite cities has a unique role to play in the mega-city polycentric region.

Within this conceptual scenario, Toledo and Segovia are identified as university towns with plans for Segovia to be connected to Madrid by high-speed rail and Toledo already half hour away by the AVE train. This connection could help Madrid establish a north-to-south university-led Research and Development corridor, strengthening the region’s knowledge economy.

The land consumption image suggests a growth scenario where Segovia, Avila, Toledo and Cuenca receive moderate increases in population relative to Talavera and Guadalajara in order to mitigate impacts on their World Heritage sites. Both Toledo’s and Cuenca’s old cities, in addition to being World Heritage sites, are located on hilltops on the banks of rivers. Talavera and Guadalajara are the least constrained by their historic and natural environments, thus can more readily accommodate further development. And, indeed, initiatives and strategies already exist to bolster the technology and innovation sector in these cities. The image illustrates three scenarios

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where the amount of new developed areas can vary considerably depending upon housing density. The cities that show the greatest decrease in new developed areas are currently developed at relatively low densities and have the greatest potential to manage development by encouraging growth that is more compact. A polycentric model coupled with consideration for environmental systems could help to distribute and manage population and economic growth within the Greater Madrid Region.

Guadalajara and Talavera de la Reina

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The smart growth mega-city model places Madrid as the economic engine of the region, as well as the principal growth center.

Supporting this concept is the existence of networks that create economic synergies and internal linkages to benefit both Madrid and its satellite cities which occur as a result of the polycentric urban structure. The first network is transportation which, based on the Hoyt model of urban systems,1 radiates outward from the city center along rail lines, highways and other transportation arteries with major traffic flows into the city. Consequently, as the mega-city region becomes more polycentric, the satellite cities rely less on the core and promotes alternate centers. The result maximizes the capacity of the transportation network with commuters flowing in both directions.

Finally, the smart growth model reduces the extent of sprawl development. All regional settlement patterns must be sustainable, and planned with transportation systems and natural resources in mind. Concentrating growth in Madrid means an unavoidable outward growth of the city into agricultural land and open space, and suggests a greater expansion of roadways with their attendant problems: congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Smart growth offers a means of expanding economy, maximizing infrastructure use, and strengthening regional identity, all while preserving open space, reducing congestion, and better managing growth.

M-30 Case Study

Heavy traffic on the M-30

M-30 Motorway to Green Boulevard As the city of Madrid thinks about how to integrate a larger population, infrastructure projects that enhance mobility, social cohesion and quality of life should have a strategic priority. In 2004, Madrid embarked on four-year project to revamp an inner ring road called the M-30. This motorway in its previous form was a congested highway with elevated levels of emissions that divided and isolated the urban core of the city from the surrounding neighborhoods and polluted the Manzanares River.

This projectâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;also known as Calle 30â&#x20AC;&#x201D;will refurbish the road and reroute major sections of it through new tunnels. This will allow the above surface areas to be redeveloped into green park areas, footpaths, cycle paths and new housing. In addition to recovery of the surface areas, the goal of the M-30 project is an increase in the traffic capacity of the M-30, clean-up of the Manzanares River, and reduction in intra-city travel times by improving various exchanges.

Another main goal is to achieve a major reduction in emissions from 2007 to 2037.

City officials should be acknowledged for their efforts to improve the roadway. Our team recommends that these efforts further.

Given the wide expanse and large numbers of lanes of this motorway, city officials should ensure to provide intense greenscaping as a way to counteract vehicle emissions and noise and to soften the landscape.

Officials should also consider congestion pricing. As in London and Stockholm, drivers could be charged a fee for driving into the central business district at times when roads are congested. The revenues could be used to pay for better public transportation. This policy has been very successful where it has been tried, and the fee can be set at the level needed to reduce congestion to a manageable level.

European Diagonal

The M-30 seperates pedestriansfrom the river

Endnotes 1 P roposed by economist Homer Hoyt, this theory posits that cities tended to grow in wedge-shaped patterns -- or sectors -- emanating from the central business district and centered on major transportation routes.

Beyond Madrid

GOVERNANCE At present, there is no metropolitan authority or institution that coordinates the larger metropolitan region beyond the Comunidad de Madrid. Since there is no metropolitan area governance arrangement, planning is very much within the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Communities and the municipalities. This current arrangement is severely limited in its ability to plan on a regional level that crosses borders. The lack of a greater metropolitan authority hinders a joint regional planning initiative for the Greater Madrid Region, which is defined in this report as including the Community of Madrid and adjacent provinces from the contiguous Autonomous Communities of Castilla–La Mancha and Castilla y Leon.

In order to confront the region’s changing needs and to address important issues facing the GMR, it is imperative that efforts be made to facilitate regional planning and make metropolitan governance work.

Indeed, the rapid growth of the GMR and the need for the whole region to successfully reinvent itself to compete in national and world markets give rise to a fresh set of challenges. First, how can cohesion throughout the region best be advanced?

What institutional formation is best suited to lead a regional planning initiative for the GMR? In the future, leaders and important stakeholders from the Greater Madrid Region must answer these questions.

Furthermore, the GMR needs to create or adapt a regional institution to meet this need. The GMR can pursue several options.

The GMR can look to models of regional planning bodies from across the world that are successfully meeting the challenge of confronting regional issues in large world city regions. The following examples and options are listed from the strongest statutory institutions to collaborative and voluntary institutions.

Statutory Change Borders Autonomous Community borders can be changed to reflect the new geographic

reality. The Autonomous Community of Madrid was created in 1978 by seceding from Castilla la Nueva (now CastileLa Mancha) because of the economic disparities between it and the rest of the region. The increased prosperity and the expansion of urban fabric could be a reason to reconsider the current borders; including Madrid and the surrounding cities in the same political jurisdiction would enable cooperation and an alignment of regional goals. However, the rigidity of autonomous community borders is both this method’s biggest strength and weakness. On the one hand, separate jurisdictions that already have seamless economic and transport functions will finally be under the same political jurisdiction; on the other hand, such border changes are politically difficult and would become obsolete as the region grows further outward.

Create a Regional Public Authority Cross border authorities can be utilized to plan and manage regional resources. Rather than change borders, a public authority with competence over services of regional importance can serve all municipalities within the Greater Madrid Region.

Public authorities are public benefit corporations chartered by the state to serve

a public purpose, such as maintenance of infrastructure. These authorities often have broad powers to regulate or maintain public property. Such latitude provides both a forum and a mechanism to plan and regulate future growth. In the United States, Portland Metro in Oregon is an exemplar case study of this type of governance. Metro is an elected public authority, which plans and manages region-wide services such as transportation, open space and park systems, the solid waste system and publicly supported economic and cultural facilities, such as the Convention Center and Oregon Zoo. This wide range of issues gives Metro authority over region-wide land use decisions that effectively shape the regions growth and development.

Collaborative Create a regional Council of Governments (COG) A Council of Governments is an official “meeting place” for local and provincial governments usually organized around a regional issue. The purpose of the COG is to provide both technical support and a forum for local governments to reach consensus on inter-municipal issues. COGs allow municipalities to form regional plans while retaining local control. COGs can run the

Portland Region 2040 Growth Concept

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Though it has no formal authority to do so, the organization anticipates the challenges the region will face in years to come and mobilizes the region’s civic, business, and government sectors to take action.

Southeast England Regional Plan; Source: SEERA

spectrum from collaborative to statutory authority; however, a COG must start as a collaborative body before its members agree to give it more authority.1

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The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (“WashCOG”) is collaborative body in the multi-state Washington, DC region. WashCOG’s board is composed of representatives from 21 local governments, the Maryland and Virginia legislatures, and the federal government.

In short, it brings together three levels of government across very clear jurisdictional lines into a forum that is focused on regional responses. Issues covered include the environment, affordable housing, economic development, health and family concerns, human services, population growth, public safety, and transportation.

A European example of a COG is the South East England Regional Assembly, which includes London. The Assembly represents the UK’s most populous region and it is a voluntary partnership of local authorities and stakeholders. The region’s council established it in 1999 to provide a representative voice for the region. Being a membership organization, it comprises 112 members, 74 of them are councilors from each of the region’s local authorities, and 38 represent a range of interests from the social, environmental, and business sectors.

The Assembly is a policy-making body and does not bear responsibility for delivering services. It has four key areas of work: advocacy, accountability, regional planning, and regional policy. The Assembly is partly funded by the region’s local authorities and has the opportunity to obtain resources from the central government. The Assembly produced the 2006 South East Plan, which outlines their regional spatial strategy and sets out changes needed to improve the quality of life in the region over the next 20 years. 2 Voluntary Civic Led Regional Planning A thriving civic sector is an important vehicle through which non-governmental actors can influence public policy. Civic networks play an important part in regional governance because they can foster communication and interaction among diverse groups. A model for this institutional formation is the private Regional Plan Association (RPA) in the New York City metropolitan area. Founded in 1922, the RPA is America’s oldest and most respected independent, not-for-profit regional planning organization. The RPA aims to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the 31-county New York-New Jersey-Connecticut region through research, planning, and advocacy.

European Diagonal

RPA’s First Regional Plan in 1929 provided the blueprint for the transportation and open space networks in the region. The Second Plan, completed in 1968, was instrumental in restoring the region’s deteriorated mass transit system, preserving threatened natural resources, and revitalizing the region’s urban centers.

Released in 1996, RPA’s Third Regional Plan, “A Region at Risk,” warned that new global trends had fundamentally altered New York’s national and global position.

The plan called for building a seamless 21st-century mass transit system, creating a three-million acre Greensward network of protected natural resource systems, maintaining half of the region’s employment in urban centers, and assisting minority and immigrant communities to fully participate in the economic mainstream. RPA’s current work is aimed largely at implementing the ideas put forth in the Third Regional Plan, with efforts focused in five project areas: community design, open space, transportation, workforce and the economy, and housing.3 The RPA civic-led planning model is now being emulated in a number of other US metropolitan regions, including Chicago, Pittsburgh, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Endnotes 1 Portland Metro is also an example of COG in which the member jurisdictions agreed to give it statutory authority.

2 www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/ 3 www.rpa.org

Conclusion

CONCLUSION The cities of the Diagonalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Marseille and Milan, have the potential to transform themselves from a chain of cities with some shared economic and environmental assets and traditions into one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emerging megaregions. To do so will require coordinated infrastructure investments and collaborative, cross-border strategies to deal with economic, environmental, climate and immigration concerns. These actions would provide enormous advantages to every city in the Diagonal in terms of improved competitiveness, mobility, environmental and climate protection, and social cohesion.

These strategies would also allow this emerging megaregion to overcome a growing number of urgent challenges facing each of its component cities, including immigration, congestion, urban sprawl, global economic competition, and climate concerns, which threaten the quality of life and economic potential of the whole Diagonal. An immediate need is to create a new economic development plan organized around the Diagonal strategy. This plan can replace the EU Structural Fund investments in the Diagonal, which are now being redirected to Central and Eastern Europe.

These EU investments have underpinned southern European economic development for the past three decades and need to be replaced with a strong new strategy that can attract European, national and private investments. Taking these steps will require political courage and large and sustained public and private investments. However, the Diagonal strategy will provide the cities and countries of the Diagonal and indeed, all of Europe, with enormous economic, social and environmental benefits for generations to come.

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