The Città Metropolitana di Milano is a wide-area administrative entity established on January 1, 2015, by Law 56/2014 (Delrio Law), replacing the former Province of Milan. With over 3.2 million inhabitants across 133 municipalities covering 1,575 km², it represents the second most populous metropolitan city in Italy and the third most populous metropolitan area in Europe after London and Paris.

The entity is characterized by a polycentric approach that values the identity of each municipality, coordinating plural communities through innovative governance based on seven homogeneous zones. The governance structure includes the Metropolitan Mayor (currently Giuseppe Sala, who simultaneously serves as Mayor of Milan), the Metropolitan Council, and the Metropolitan Conference. The entity manages strategic competencies including territorial planning, sustainable mobility, digital infrastructure, education, and environmental sustainability, positioning the area as a strategic European hub.

Città Metropolitana di Milano

Overview

The Città Metropolitana di Milano is a metropolitan administrative entity that was established on January 1, 2015, pursuant to Law 56/2014 (Delrio Law), replacing the former Province of Milan. This wide-area administrative body represents one of Italy's most significant examples of metropolitan governance reform, coordinating 133 municipalities across 1,575 km² with over 3.2 million inhabitants.

As the second most populous metropolitan city in Italy and the third most populous metropolitan area in Europe (after London and Paris), the entity plays a crucial role in managing one of Europe's most economically significant territories. The metropolitan area concentrates 42.3% of Lombardy's businesses, produces over €200 billion annually, and has a GDP per capita of €43,000.

The Città Metropolitana adopts a polycentric governance approach that respects and values the identity of each constituent municipality while providing strategic coordination for territorial planning, sustainable mobility, education, environmental policies, and economic development.

Key Details

Institutional Framework

Legal Foundation: Established by Law 56/2014 (Delrio Law) on January 1, 2015, the metropolitan city replaced the former Province of Milan. The Statute of the Città Metropolitana di Milano, approved by the Metropolitan Council on December 22, 2014, and updated on December 16, 2021, serves as the foundational document translating the Delrio Law's principles into operational governance.

Governance Structure: The entity operates through three principal organs as defined in Title III of the Statute:

1. Metropolitan Mayor (Sindaco Metropolitano): Currently Giuseppe Sala (elected June 19, 2016; reconfirmed October 3, 2021 for the 2021-2026 term). Under Law 56/2014, the Mayor of the capital municipality automatically assumes the role of Metropolitan Mayor, creating a dual institutional role fundamental to Italian metropolitan governance. Key competencies include convening and presiding over the Metropolitan Council and Metropolitan Conference, supervising execution of acts and office operations, proposing budget schemes and planning documents, assigning managerial positions, and appointing representatives to external entities.

2. Metropolitan Council (Consiglio Metropolitano): The policy-making, programming, and political-administrative control body with functional and organizational autonomy. The first elections were held on September 28, 2014, with restricted suffrage: 2,056 electors (mayors and municipal councilors from 134 municipalities) elected 24 members.

3. Metropolitan Conference (Conferenza Metropolitana): Consultative and coordination body among metropolitan municipalities.

The Mayor may appoint a Deputy Mayor from among councilors and delegate specific sectors or projects to Delegated Councilors. The institutional headquarters is located at Palazzo Isimbardi (Via Vivaio 1, Milano).

Democratic Legitimacy: Article 20 of the Statute establishes that the Metropolitan Mayor is elected by universal direct suffrage. This mechanism, through the direct election of the Mayor of Milan who automatically assumes the metropolitan role, guarantees the entity's democratic legitimacy.

Territory and Administrative Organization

Geographic Position: Located in central-western Lombardy in the upper Po Valley (Pianura Padana), the territory is an intensely irrigated plain bounded by the Ticino River to the west and the Adda River to the east. The hydrographic system includes the Olona, Lambro, and Seveso rivers, the Navigli milanesi network (Naviglio Grande, Naviglio Martesana, Naviglio Pavese), and several minor streams.

Territorial Data (2022-2025):

• 133 metropolitan municipalities
• Surface area: 1,575 km²
• Population: 3,214,630 inhabitants (2022), 3,252,033 inhabitants (2025)
• Includes the exclave of San Colombano al Lambro
• Borders the provinces of Varese, Monza and Brianza, Bergamo, Cremona, Lodi, Pavia, and Novara

Seven Homogeneous Zones: The Metropolitan Council deliberated on September 17, 2015, the establishment of 7 homogeneous zones, as provided by Law 56/2014 and the metropolitan Statute. This subdivision is based on each area's geographic, demographic, historical, economic, and institutional specificities, and is functional for better articulating territorial activities and promoting greater integration of services.

The seven zones (2022 data):

1. Alto Milanese: 22 municipalities, 215.25 km², 256,801 inhabitants (1,193 inhab/km²)
2. Magentino Abbiatense: 28 municipalities, 360.44 km², 217,470 inhabitants (603 inhab/km²)
3. Sud Ovest: 16 municipalities, 179.94 km², 239,769 inhabitants (1,332 inhab/km²)
4. Sud Est: 15 municipalities, 179.72 km², 176,082 inhabitants (980 inhab/km²)
5. Adda Martesana: 29 municipalities, 264.95 km², 390,863 inhabitants (1,430 inhab/km²)
6. Nord Milano: 6 municipalities, 57.88 km², 266,200 inhabitants (5,381 inhab/km²)
7. Nord Ovest: 16 municipalities, 135.82 km², 317,515 inhabitants (2,338 inhab/km²)

Milano city: 9 districts, 181.8 km², 1,349,930 inhabitants (7,431 inhab/km²)

These supra-municipal aggregations have consultative and coordination functions for decentralized metropolitan services, particularly in territorial planning.

Competencies and Strategic Projects

Strategic Objectives: The Statute identifies several strategic priorities:

• Positioning as a strategic European and national area capable of generating development and attracting international resources
• Commitment to environmental sustainability through innovative and effective solutions
• Focus on democratic participation and social and cultural quality of life for citizens
• Administrative simplification as a fundamental working method

Main Competencies and Ongoing Projects:

• Territorial Planning: The Strategic Territorial Plan 2025-2027 "Prospettive metropolitane" represents the entity's main programming instrument

• PMRR (Metropolitan Recovery and Resilience Plan): €39 million allocated for municipal projects, with submission deadline February 28, 2026. This plan constitutes local implementation of PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) resources

• Sustainable Mobility: The "Cambio" project represents the metropolitan Bicycle Plan for developing cycling infrastructure in the metropolitan area

• Digital Infrastructure: The "Campus Metropolitano Smart" for fiber optic connectivity throughout the territory, aimed at ensuring digital transformation of the metropolitan area

• Education and Training: School guidance services (ITER, ITER FP) and management of educational policies, including projects for students with disabilities (PCTO Emergo 2024). The Metropolitan City has significant competencies in managing the territory's educational and training policies

• Environment and Sustainability: Initiatives such as Green Public Procurement 2025-2028 to promote sustainable public purchasing

Economic and Social Context

Economic Primacy: The Milan metropolitan area distinguishes itself through exceptional economic performance positioning it among Europe's major hubs:

• Wealth Concentration: Milan is the third European city by number of millionaires, with 115,000 millionaires and 17 billionaires (April 2025 data)
• Economic Weight: The area concentrates 42.3% of Lombardy's businesses with a GDP per capita of €43,000, producing over €200 billion annually
• Quality of Life: In 2019, Milan ranked first in quality of life according to Il Sole 24 Ore

Demographic Composition: The foreign population represents 15.1% of the total (489,408 people in 2021), highlighting the multicultural and international character of the Milan metropolitan area.

These economic indicators significantly influence the Metropolitan City's competencies in economic development, financial framework, territorial planning challenges related to managing a high-density economic and demographic area, and strategic role in governing an economically crucial European territory.

History

The Città Metropolitana di Milano was established following a broader institutional reform initiated by Law 56/2014 (Delrio Law), which transformed Italian provincial administrations into metropolitan cities for major urban areas. This reform aimed to modernize territorial governance by creating entities capable of managing complex metropolitan challenges such as integrated territorial planning, coordinated mobility systems, and strategic economic development.

The law abolished the former Province of Milan, which had existed since the unification of Italy, and replaced it with a new metropolitan governance structure on January 1, 2015. The transition represented a fundamental shift from a traditional provincial model to an innovative metropolitan approach emphasizing polycentric coordination and municipal cooperation.

Key Historical Milestones:

• 2014: Law 56/2014 (Delrio Law) approved, establishing metropolitan cities
• September 28, 2014: First Metropolitan Council elections with restricted suffrage (2,056 electors from 134 municipalities)
• December 22, 2014: Metropolitan Council approves the Statute of the Città Metropolitana di Milano
• January 1, 2015: Official establishment of the Città Metropolitana di Milano, replacing the Province of Milan
• June 19, 2016: Giuseppe Sala elected Mayor of Milan, automatically assuming the role of Metropolitan Mayor
• September 17, 2015: Metropolitan Council establishes 7 homogeneous zones
• December 16, 2021: Statute updated to reflect governance evolution
• October 3, 2021: Giuseppe Sala reconfirmed as Mayor of Milan for the 2021-2026 term, continuing as Metropolitan Mayor

The establishment of the metropolitan city represented a response to the increasing complexity of governing a highly urbanized, economically dynamic territory requiring coordination beyond traditional municipal boundaries while respecting local autonomies.

Current Status

The Città Metropolitana di Milano is currently fully operational as a wide-area administrative entity coordinating 133 municipalities. Giuseppe Sala serves as Metropolitan Mayor in his current term (2021-2026), simultaneously holding the position of Mayor of Milan.

Active Governance and Programs:

The entity is actively implementing its Strategic Territorial Plan 2025-2027 "Prospettive metropolitane", which defines the medium-term vision for metropolitan development. The PMRR (Metropolitan Recovery and Resilience Plan) is allocating €39 million for municipal projects with deadlines extending to February 28, 2026, representing a significant investment in local infrastructure and services through PNRR resources.

Major ongoing initiatives include:

• "Cambio" Bicycle Plan: Developing metropolitan cycling infrastructure
• "Campus Metropolitano Smart": Expanding fiber optic connectivity
• Green Public Procurement 2025-2028: Promoting sustainable public purchasing
• Educational guidance services and programs for students with disabilities
• Statistical data collection and analysis (Annuario Statistico 2025)

Current Challenges and Operations:

The entity currently manages the complex balance between coordinating 133 diverse municipalities while respecting local autonomies. The seven homogeneous zones serve as operational frameworks for decentralized service delivery and territorial coordination.

Active public sector recruitment includes 10 positions available with a deadline of January 22, 2026, indicating ongoing institutional capacity building. The entity maintains active bidding processes for municipal projects and continues to strengthen its role as coordinator between the capital municipality and surrounding communities.

Transparency and Public Services:

The institutional portal (www.cittametropolitana.mi.it) ensures administrative transparency through:

• Online Public Register (Albo Pretorio): Publication of official acts
• Transparent Administration Section: Institutional transparency according to current regulations
• Public Relations Office (URP): Toll-free number 800.88.33.11 for citizen assistance

The entity continues to position itself as a strategic European hub, managing a territory that represents Italy's primary economic engine and one of Europe's most significant metropolitan areas. The current status reflects an institutional model balancing innovation in metropolitan governance with the practical challenges of coordinating a complex, densely populated, and economically strategic territory.