Metropolis is the World Association of Major Metropolises. Metropolis is also the metropolitan section of the United Cities & Local Government organization (UCLG).

Created in 1985, the Metropolis Association is represented by more than 100 members from across the world and operates as an international forum for exploring issues and concerns common to all big cities and metropolitan regions.

"The mission of Metropolis is to accompany cities in mutual learning, innovation, governance, technical/financial assistance, international presence and debate."

• In mutual learning, as a result of the transfer of knowledge, practices and experiences between metropolitan governments and their associates.
• In innovation, understood as a result of collaboration between city governments and groundbreaking businesses and entities in the management of urban issues.
• In metropolitan governance, understood as collaboration between metropolitan governments on the one hand and the other levels of local, regional and state governments on the other; public/private cooperation and public participation.
• In technical/financial assistance, to mobilize new financial resources for investments earmarked at sustainable and efficient development.
• In presence in international forums and the defense of city interests and concerns.
• In the debate about ideas on city trends and evolution.

Metropolis wishes to build a global alliance between metropolitan governments and their associates to promote urban sustainability.

• Promoting a cross-sectoral approach and inter-relations between the different aspects of urban sustainability: environmental, economic, social and cultural.
• Acting both in already urbanized metropolitan regions and ones in a phase of strong urban growth.

• Defining public-private action and cooperation projects between institutions and levels of government.
• Working to reduce the sustainability gap and to promote innovation and metropolitan governance

Objectives

Metropolis will consider the following over the next 3 years:

• Promoting mutual learning, training and capacity building
• Speeding up innovation to find solutions to city problems
• Contributing toward metropolitan governance to reduce metropolitan imbalances
• Promoting financial and technical assistance to metropolitan areas in developing countries
• Representing and giving political visibility to metropolitan interests before national and international institutions.
• Promoting a reflection on trends in the evolution of cities and metropolitan policies.