Riverside park in Toulouse with the Pont Neuf (new bridge) in the background

The open metropolis: the hero citizen

Toulouse Métropole chose innovation through its Smart City masterplan ‘Toulouse, the Open Metropolis’. The strategy, launched in 2015, was jointly developed with civil society organisations around three key concepts – city, citizens, and creative and business organisations.

An innovative governance was set up to federate a territory of 800,000 inhabitants and associate the 37 municipalities forming Toulouse Métropole, the public agencies and all of the city’s departments. The 2015-2020 strategy and the shared and co-constructed roadmap enabled Toulouse to rely on a recognised and creative ecosystem to initiate innovative practices likely to encourage, amplify and accelerate entrepreneurial and citizens’ initiatives.

By joining the European Capital of Innovation network in 2017, Toulouse aimed to:

  • Develop calls for projects for citizens and businesses and reinforce the support of hubs to increase the leverage effects on the creativity of citizens and businesses.
  • Support urban change and citizen initiatives.
  • Further involve citizens by relying on best practices developed by European metropolises.

Toulouse aims to be a strong European city, encouraging actions that promote citizenship, address issues of demographic and economic growth, and combine technological and frugal innovations.

Contact
Caroline Lapelerie: caroline.lapelerie@toulouse.metropole.fr
Loredana Breazu: loredana.breazu@toulouse-metropole.fr

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