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  • Urban Future official 2026 Programme out now

    Why Cities Struggle to Implement – and How Urban Future Responds

    2026 Event Programme Revealed: From city centres and democracy to AI and circular construction
    JANUARY 19, 2026 | LJUBLJANA – Across Europe, cities know what needs to change. The harder question is how.
    This challenge sits at the core of the newly released programme for Urban Future 2026 (UF26), Europe’s Better-Cities Event, taking place in Ljubljana from March 24–27. The programme brings

  • Urban Future 2026 Unveils First Speakers

    Urban Future 2026 will take place in Ljubljana from March 24–27, 2026, featuring over 2000 city innovators. Focused on sustainable urban transformation, it introduces diverse speakers and engaging formats, including field trips showcasing progressive city projects and strategies.

    The first speakers of UF26 have been announced within the "People Make Cities" Campaign.

  • Ljubljana Prepares To Host The Better-Cities Event

    Ljubljana will host Urban Future 2026, Europe’s largest urban changemakers event, from March 24-27, 2026. The conference aims to promote sustainable city development, attracting over 2,000 participants to engage in workshops and discussions on urban innovation and sustainability practices.

    Mathis Hampel and Rok Žnidaršič on stage at the Urban Future UF26 kick-off event

  • Comeback Cities and Green Revolutions: Urban Future 2025 Spotlights Transformation

    Urban Future 2025 in Łódź gathers 2,000 urban innovators from over 120 cities, driving discussions on city transformation. The event promotes green urbanism, equity, and collaboration, showcasing successful city changes while empowering local communities to create sustainable, people-centered environments.

  • From Cars to Community - Cugir's Urban Transformation Journey

    At the Urban Future Conference in Poland, Cugir's Mayor Adrian Teban highlighted the town's transformative "Just Streets" project, shifting from car-centric to people-first urban planning, showcasing a model for sustainable mobility and urban development applicable to Romanian cities and beyond.

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When rules are tested, urban spaces can be reimagined. ✊   This 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐞 feature by 𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 is a powerful reminder of what leads to true urban transformation: Cities change when people challenge the “plan.”   Or more specifically, by 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬! @toposmagazine @georg_media   From small interventions to bold acts of resistance, a simple truth is revealed: cities aren’t finished products, they’re living systems shaped by 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.   Thank you for weighing in, Gerald Babel-Sutter. @gerald9762 Glad to see Adetayo Manuwa, Nicholas Marchesi, Honorata Grzesikowska, Ewelina Jaskulska & CityChangers.Org named among the rebels. 🖤 @tutipsy @honorata.io @nm_fart @nicholas_marchesi @ewelina.jaskulska @citychangersorg   Read the story: #linkinbio   Making cities better, one step at a time! 👣 Are you a rebellious rule-breaker too? 😎

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🌬️ 𝑊𝑜𝑤, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑖𝑟! Istanbul is huge and diverse, full of energy and bursting with opportunities. And did we mention the cute cats everywhere? 🐈🐈‍⬛ Part of the Urban Future team spent 3 days in Istanbul meeting partners, exploring the city and checking out the venue. This city shows us just how much is moving, and it has us even more excited about what’s next. Now the question is: what will we create together in April? 👀🩷✨

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From bold discussions to real-world examples 🤓🗺️   Our UF26 field trips took the conversation out of the event halls ➜ straight into the streets of Ljubljana, where change is already happening.    Whether exploring by bike, following the trail of Plečnik, or learning about local, visionary architects, participants dove into the city’s vibe and met the people shaping it. 🚲🥾   These are just a few of our favorite moments. 👀 💫  Real projects, honest conversations & plenty of inspiration along the way.   Because the best way to understand cities…is to experience them!   👉 Get all the photos at #linkinbio

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Turning urban mobility ambitions into real-world change is where things often get...complicated. 😵‍💫 Do you feel that too, sometimes?   That’s exactly why we’re excited to share something from our long-time Urban Future community friends at Humankind! @humankindcity (Shout out to Jorn, Nuria, Lior & Mario! 🤜🤛)   Their new course, 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, is built for practitioners who want to move from strategy to execution – and create mobility solutions grounded in real citizens’ needs.   Built on years of hands-on experience, the course dives into the intersection of spatial design and social dynamics, helping urban planners, city makers & municipal professionals turn bold mobility strategies into people-first realities.   ⚡️ Fast-paced, hands-on, and limited to 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 📅 Registrations open until 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎   If you’ve ever felt stuck between vision & implementation, this might be exactly what you need.   🤝 Learn more and secure your spot: #linkinbio

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Big shoutout to the team at Bilbao Metropoli 30 for launching the 𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 🌍 @bilbaometropoli30   These awards spotlight the bold, collaborative & future-focused projects shaping better urban regions worldwide – exactly the kind of work we love to see. 💛   This year’s categories include:  • Horizon Shaper Award • Partners in Progress Award • SDG Champions Award • Prosperity Catalyst Award • Metropolitan Connection Award • The Bay Urban Pioneers Award   If you (or someone in your network) are driving real change in cities, this is your moment.   🗓 Apply by 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 🏆 Winners announced on 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟏𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 at the iconic Guggenheim Museum Bilbao   Let’s help get the right projects on that stage. Apply: #linkinbio Good luck, urban innovators! 🤞

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Urban Future took to the airwaves 🎙️ In a special feature for Monocle’s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵, Guy De Launey explores the ideas, people & conversations behind this year’s Better Cities Event in Ljubljana. Featuring voices from the UF26 programme: 🖼️ Gerald Babel-Sutter on what makes a better city 🎯 Jan Kattein on whether our obsession with city centres is justified ⚡️ Alenka Korenjak on why tactical urbanism is more than just colours 🌀 Nicholas Marchesi on what his hard hat has to do with circularity 🏋🏻‍♂️ Sabina Mihailescu on what makes resilient societies ⚖️ Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir on why innovation in governance is necessary 💬 Nourhan Bassam on how to change communications An inspiring listen for everyone ready to dive into the ideas shaping Urban Future and better cities worldwide. #linkinbio Thank you to everyone who contributed, and thank you for bringing it all together, Guy! 🩷

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𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐩𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬. 🦹‍♀️🦸🏻‍♂️ Our 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 starts the day before general sessions open. We gather a global community of around 50 driven Gen Z leaders who care deeply about the future of cities. Through shared experiences, collaboration & bold ideas, participants grow their impact while building lifelong connections. From 190+ young leaders across 45+ countries and 95 cities, we’ve seen what happens when this energy comes together. 🙌 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧; they’re built by people who come out of this cohort... passionate people, just like 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 🫶

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𝐖𝐎𝐖… 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔! ✌️ At the heart of it all: 2,000 urbanists and changemakers from 290 cities across 48 countries coming together in Ljubljana to shape better cities. ❤️ 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔! 𝐇𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐀! 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐇Ö𝐍! ❤️ To everyone who made this happen - speakers, moderators, partners, exhibitors, field trip guides, journalists, technicians, Young Leaders, and volunteers - 𝐘𝐎𝐔 are what makes this event so special. We’re back in Graz inspired, energized, and already buzzing with ideas for what’s next. 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐥, 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐬! 🦄🇹🇷 📆 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟯-𝟭𝟲, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 📸 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻-𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.𝗼𝗿𝗴

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What happens when you swap the stage for a cargo bike? 🚲🦄 Lior Steinberg and Emma Cutting took a break from the Urban Future buzz to ride through Ljubljana. The conversation flowed as naturally as the city around them. They explored how nature can reconnect us, and how real change starts small: a planted verge, a shared street, a simple smile. 🌿💬 🐝 Emma turned 8km of public space in Melbourne into thriving ecosystems, especially for bees and flowers. @heartscapes_org 💡 Lior is bringing awareness and activating citizens & city officials to make changes in our cities and streets. @humankindcity Different paths, same mission: 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬!

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