Urban Revolution and The Bay Awards
a movement and a community
This Urban Revolution seeks to build a community of practitioners, activists, thinkers, public authorities, companies and international networks from across the world united in a shared quest for urban innovation. We hope this can become a powerful and influential movement for change, which inspires cities to do things differently.
Together with this community, The Bay Urban Visioning Awards is a platform promoted by Bilbao Metropoli 30, to raise awareness of the urgency for change; to encourage new solutions and their sharing from one city to another, and to showcase and reward, every two years, those disruptive and pioneering good urban practices and projects that can form part of the shared learning process.
Deep change is possible everywhere
Addressing this urban revolution implies critical optimism. It implies opportunity and proactivity. This is why Bilbao Metropoli 30 promotes this Urban Revolution based on a new social contract for our cities, based on disruptive ideas and projects that are not limited to improving the existing. Cities and metropolis are ecosystems, capable of innovating and, as the revitalisation process of Bilbao and its metropolis have shown, capable of building themselves from their uniqueness, distinctiveness, self-reliance, resilience and self-consciousness.
No time to waste. Let’s start this Urban Revolution now.
Proposed Manifesto for urban innovation in cities
The Urban Revolution Aurrera! proposed Manifesto is based on the contributions of the ten leading international experts on cities and urban development from across the world that took part at the International Congress held in October 2023 in Bilbao, sharing their ambitious and disruptive visions for the future of cities. They are also the Jury members of The Bay Awards.
Together with a diverse audience of local and international actors, they explored these visions and the kind of collective actions that would be required to transform our cities. Their contributions form the basis of this manifesto proposal.
The Urban Revolution Aurrera! proposed Manfiesto offers a shared vision and principles for strategic thinking on cities and metropolises, around which to generate an international movement, a dynamic community of people who share the common goal to address urban challenges in a disruptive and innovative way.
Aurrera! is a Basque word meaning ‘forward’: to drive forward and create unstoppable momentum.
Supporting global urban initiatives
This proposed Manifesto builds upon the foundations articulated by international associations of cities, global events, multi-lateral bodies and initiatives, philanthropic foundations across the world. Our aim is to support these major initiatives by throwing a spotlight on urban innovation and the ability of our cities to be agile and promote change.
The Urban Revolution Aurrera! proposed Manifesto is structured in three sections that cover the economic, ecological, and social dimensions that must drive the urban innovation we embrace. These three sections therefore constitute the WHAT of this urban revolution. The fourth section contains proposals on the strategy which HOW.
Download Proposed Manifesto
There is also available the proposed manifesto in Basque and Spanish. If you are interested to get them, please contact: info@thebayawards.com or visit the Bilbao Metropoli 30 website.
Why in Bilbao? An inspiring context Metropolitan Bilbao
It is no coincidence that this initiative is taking place in Bilbao (Biscay, Basque Country). The revitalization process of Metropolitan Bilbao has been internationally recognized as a successful model of transformation from an industrial region to a modern cultural metropolis.
The revitalization process proved that an urban revolution is possible. It proved that public-private collaboration and shared, bold and disruptive decisions can produce far-reaching changes capable of addressing challenges of great magnitude.
Who takes part in this community
