With territorial cohesion and urban and social improvements in focus, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) has planned a record investment for this term. The municipalities that make up the AMB, with the exception of the Catalan capital, will receive an investment of 423.15 million euros until 2027. Of the total, 150 million will be directed to reinforce social cohesion in various programs, while 181 will focus on urban and social improvements.
The 423 million that will be made available to the city councils represent a record figure for the AMB, with an increase of 25% compared to the previous term. The resources of the investment plans that specify the Municipal Action Plan (PAM) for this term will be distributed proportionally among the municipalities, reaching a total of 3.3 million inhabitants in the 35 municipalities that make up the area around the Catalan capital. To design the programs that make up the metropolitan investment plan and specify them in actions in the municipalities, the AMB has prioritized criteria that reinforce the application of proximity policies and the improvement of public space, with the aim of contributing to improving the quality of life of citizens.
"The objective is to rebalance and help city councils develop physical transformations and social policies," highlighted the president of the AMB, Jaume Collboni. The also mayor of Barcelona has defended that the plan prioritizes the commitment to energy and digital transition, and that "it focuses on improving social equity and reducing inequalities." The executive vice president of the AMB, Antonio Balmón, has emphasized that "the AMB's action for social and territorial cohesion goes beyond the investment plan, and is also materialized through housing policies or those of sustainable mobility and transport."
Specifically, the plans with the most weight are those aimed at urban and social improvement, with 181.15 million, and territorial cohesion, with another 150 million. Both packages are joined by one for the improvement of the natural and urban landscape, with 27 million, and another for the creation of projects and technical assistance, with 20 million more. To these areas is added another line focused on supporting municipal social policies, with 30 million, and another of 15 for a comprehensive neighborhood program to improve their incomes.
The distribution among the 35 municipalities is established equitably based on various factors, such as the municipality's income, the number of inhabitants, and the state of vulnerability indices. In this sense, the two most populated Catalan municipalities after Barcelona are those that receive the most resources: L'Hospitalet will add 47 million euros, while Badalona will receive a total of 35.9, taking into account both the investment plan and the social plan.