FOREWORD BY THE PRESIDENT The Fundacion Metropoli is an international institution with a mission to foster a creative, human and sustainable transformation of cities and regions. It aims to act as a catalyst between the public and the private s ectors i n d esigning a nd re alising a s ustainable f uture. The approach of the Fundacion Metropoli to this demanding task consists of three interdependent lines of action: knowledge creation and sharing through research and innovation; new ideas and new projects; and incubation as a means to f acilitate the transition from ideas to reality. They are carried out respectively by the HUB, a node of initiation and cooperation with international research networks; the LAB, design laboratories where urban and regional strategies and projects are being elaborated; and ASMOA which assists the process of incubation and implementation of urban initiatives. This book on the work of the Fundacion Metropoli from its inception to the present day is presenting an overview of i ts main a ctivities and results of i ts research and development s trategies. It elucidates the criteria and references which enable the Fundacion Me tropoli to discover the essence of each place and its vocation for the future. What distinguishes its approach is to work simultaneously at different scales and their interdependencies. A second common denominator of the work of the Fundacion Metropoli is its commitment to innovation. We believe that innovation is one of the keys to f uture sustainability and for that reason we consider it important to treat the transformations of space at its various scales as ecosystems of innovation. The book illustrates this process with projects ranging from the scale of North American super-regions to the European Diagonal and the Mediterraneo TECs. They encompass regional, metropolitan and urban perspectives, as well as land art, rural landscapes, eco-villages, the regeneration of quarries and experimental architecture. We could not have reached our achievements without close cooperation with decision makers, supportive leaders of public administrations, sponsors who believe in our approach and assist in turning our ideas into reality, our advisors from all over the world who encouraged us in our endeavours, our colleagues in cooperative ventures, committed members of international research networks, t he a cademic world w hich p articipated i n our re search a nd e xperimentation, t he professional community, fellow architects, urban designers and planners, the legal professions, and most importantly artists whose creativity and innovation are a continuous inspiration. Finally, the enthusiastic and gifted t eam of the Fundacion Metropoli, with members f rom all over the world was essential in continuously challenging acquired ideas and in keeping our efforts at the forefront of innovation.
ALFONSO VEGARA PRESIDENT OF THE FUNDACIĂ“N METRĂ“POLI
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