The task of guaranteeing cultural diversity and people’s right to participate in culture, in a broad sense, must be complemented with the availability of the human and economic resources necessary to elaborate, execute and evaluate the impact of policies implemented in the Barcelona metropolitan region, starting with the availability of specific and significant local data.

The decline in the knowledge and use of Catalan demonstrated by data from recent decades shows the need to preserve our language, recover Catalan cultural references and promote new ones that complement those from other cultural traditions.

The role of culture in improving well-being and health has been demonstrated during the pandemic and has helped people to overcome moments of uncertainty and social isolation. Likewise, the interaction of culture with other areas such as education, health, sustainability and the food model can help to promote change and bringing us closer to a more just, equitable and sustainable model of society.

Just as the Catalan language and culture are part of our cultural heritage, the contributions of the communities of newly arrived people who settle and integrate into society are also part of this wealth. The knowledge, exchange and joint work of different cultures fosters better social cohesion and brings us closer to a more inclusive and equitable society, while enriching our cultural heritage.

The crises of recent years have greatly weakened the cultural sector. To revitalise it, we must focus on the local cultural, community and associative fabric, whether in neighbourhoods or municipalities. The promotion of creative talent, innovation in content and formats, the reduction of job insecurity and the attraction that large facilities have over the whole can all help to reverse the situation.

Supra-municipal cultural projects and travelling systems help to improve spatial planning in the metropolis, counteract the centrality of Barcelona and guarantee a more equitable spatial distribution of cultural offerings. The coordination and networking of cultural stakeholders is essential to achieve a better distribution of cultural activity and preserve the idiosyncrasy of the municipalities that make up the metropolitan region at the same time.