On 19 March 2026, a cooperation agreement was signed between the University of Silesia, the City of Brno (Czecha), the Metropolitan City of Turin (Italy), the Metropolitan Research Institute (Hungary), the Stuttgart Region Association (Germany), Charles University (Prague), the City of Warsaw, the Joint Spatial Planning Department of Berlin-Brandenburg (Germany), and the City of Ostrava (Czecha) regarding the design of optimal solutions for metropolitan areas in Central Europe. On behalf of the University of Silesia, the agreement was signed by Prof. Tomasz Pietrzykowski, Vice-Rector for International and Domestic Cooperation.
The agreement was signed during the conference ‘Solutions for Strong Metropolitan Cooperation and Governance: Metropolitan Areas for European Cohesion and Growth’, which took place in Brno and summed up the three-year implementation of the international MECOG-CE project (Strengthening Metropolitan Cooperation and Governance in Central Europe) financed by the Interreg Central Europe 2021-2027 programme.
The University of Silesia served as an expert partner, co-responsible for the analysis and interpretation of governance processes in metropolitan areas in Central Europe and the identification of good practices in metropolitan cooperation. During the event, Robert Pyka, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., and Zuzanna Neuve-Église, PhD from the Institute of Sociology of the University of Silesia presented the results of research conducted jointly with Krzysztof Bierwiaczonek, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., and Małgorzata Suchacka, PhD, Assoc. Prof. This research formed one of the foundations of the draft recommendations. The conference brought together high-level representatives from European institutions, public administration, and regional and metropolitan authorities, highlighting the importance of metropolitan governance for European Union development policies.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The international project ‘Strengthening Metropolitan Cooperation and Governance in Central Europe’ (MECOG-CE) is a research project funded by the Interreg Central Europe 2021-2027 programme.
The project aimed to develop tools for effective cooperation and governance in partner metropolitan areas, taking into account the specific characteristics of the Central European region. Each of the six partner metropolitan areas has developed diverse forms and tools of cooperation, which—through the exchange of experiences and work in international study clusters—have been adapted to other territorial contexts. The results of these activities strengthen the metropolitan areas’ ability to respond to complex development challenges requiring an integrated approach and are aligned with the objectives of European Union urban policy.
The University of Silesia in Katowice, together with Charles University in Prague, served as the leader responsible for the implementation of the first task, ‘Analysis of the metropolitan dimension (WP1)’. The goal of this task was to determine the initial situation of metropolitan areas, with a particular focus on the Central European region.
The project leader at the University of Silesia is Robert Pyka, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof. The research team also includes Krzysztof Bierwiaczonek, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., Małgorzata Suchacka, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., and Zuzanna Neuve-Église, PhD.
The latest results of the MECOG-CE project can be found in the following brochures in English:
- Executive summary: Best practices and metropolitan governance structures
- Executive summary: Best practices outside MECOG CE partners’ regions
- Common Metropolitan Vision
- MECOG-CE Pilot Actions And New Solutions Brochure
- Strategy for strengthening metropolitan cooperation and governance in Central Europe
- Interactive StoryMaps
For more information about the project, visit the website. You can also follow the project progress on LinkedIn.
In the photo from the left: Krzysztof Bierwiaczonek, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., Zuzanna Neuve-Église, PhD, Małgorzata Suchacka, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., Robert Pyka, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof.
Robert Pyka, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof. and Zuzanna Neuve-Église, PhD present their research results
Signatories of the agreement on continuing cooperation after the completion of the MECOG-CE project