On 10-16.11 Madrid was the venue of the First Urban Leaders Dialogue organized by the ASEF (Asia-Europe Foundation) and the authorities of the Spanish capital.
The event gathered 44 official delegates from 29 European and Asian countries.
The aim of the meeting was to provide a platform for knowledge exchange between urban specialists from distant parts of the globe. Multiple panels, speeches and discussions led to signing a common Madrid Declaration, which briefly lists all the issues touched during the conference.
Most important of them are: cities of the future, sustainable cities, urban regeneration, the role of big events in building city's image, inter- and intraconnectivitiy, global cities vs. megacities.
Among the speakers one could find world-class experts on urban planning and management: Mr. Manuel Cobo (vice-mayor of Madrid), Mr. Alfonso Vagara (president of the Metropoli Foundation) and Mr. Micheal Donovan (director in the OECD). The Dialogue was also honoured by the presence of Mr. Qiu Xiaoqi, the Chinese Ambassador to Spain, and Mr. Quoc Khan, the vice-president of the ASEF.
The Madrid Declaration will be a basis for further co-operation within the once established network of urban leaders. The Dialogue will be continued during its second edition planned to take place in Asia in 2009 or 2010.