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In moments like these, words fall short.   Our hearts are heavy as we process the horrific tragedy of the school shooting in Graz, our hometown. At Urban Future, we work every day to make cities around the world better: more sustainable, more just, more human. But when something so unthinkable happens right in your own community, it strikes a different chord. It shakes you deeply.   In this moment of sorrow, we are incredibly moved by the outpouring of support from our global community. To the countless CityChangers from across the world who have sent messages of compassion, strength, and solidarity - thank you. Your kind words mean more than we can say.   They remind us of the kind of community we aspire to build: one where people care for one another across all borders.   Today, we stand with the families, friends, and everyone affected. And we hold on to the belief that love, compassion, and connection are the foundations of the better cities we’re all working toward. 🤍

50 bright, curious minds from 40 different cities, united by one bold dream: BETTER CITIES FOR ALL. 🌆 - Can we get a happy dance? 🕺 A massive 🩷 THANK YOU 🩷 to the 2025 Young Leaders cohort for challenging the status quo, sparking change, and lifting each other higher every step of the way: Sarah, Nora, Jacek, Julia, Olivia, Niki, Timotei, Dieudonné Elohym, Samantha, Bailey, Victoria, Theo, Ruth, Josefine, Charlotta, Martyna, Estefania, Akira, Tereza, Tilda, Alice, Jason, Franciszek, Shanika, Katarzyna, Tariro, Laurenz, Kate, Eleonora, Birgit, Nicolas, Reda, Tara, Judith, Paula, Joy, Shreya, Nola, Mabel, Constantin, Matt, Matthew, Rebeccah, Margarida, Michelle, Oliwia, George, Victoria G. Also, a huge shoutout to our powerhouse mentors – Ronni Kahn, Ewelina Jaskulska, Heinrich Strößenreuther, Katharina Schätz, Jan Kattein, Tina Saaby, Helle Soholt, Lisette van Dorn, Imandeep Kaur, Remedius Simasius, Ilya Alexander Yacine, Carolin Meyer, Pim Isaacs, Elizaveta Fakirova, Fanny Téoule, Julia Micklewright – as well as Anna & Maciej - for the private tour through your beloved city. 🙌 This is how change starts: with people who care deeply, act boldly, and rise together. We can’t wait to see what you all do next. Want to join the ride? UF26 applications open later this year. Stay tuned. The future needs minds & hearts like yours.🫀

You brought the fire, the ideas, the hope.❤️‍🔥 Together, we built something unforgettable.    THE BETTER-CITIES EVENT OF 2025 So many passionate souls. So many powerful ideas. So many moments we’ll never forget.   Are you feeling all the feels, too? 🥰✨ When #CityChangers come together, we are unstoppable.   Thank you, Łódź — you’ve shown us your heart, your spirit, your future. You’ll always have a home in our (very pink) Urban Future hearts.💗   We’re already dreaming of what’s next... 🇸🇮 See you in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2026!   Let’s keep changing cities — for the better.

One last group photo, one last hug! 💛 🔥Thank you for your energy, ideas & passion, #CityChangers! You brought it all. This is not goodbye — it’s see you in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Let’s keep the energy going until next spring!☀️🌸 Safe travels, everyone 😘

Magic happens when we all come together. 🤜✨🤛   3 days of brilliant minds, big laughs, bold ideas & deep connections. Thank you CityChangers, thank you Łódź. 🫶 The buzz is alive, and the impact is real.   The Better-Cities Event of 2025: What.A.Ride.🎢

YESTERDAY! 👏🏼 Just wow.   Insights & inspiration from Day 2 of The Better-Cities Event:   🩷 "Behaviour can’t be changed through facts." - Anja Floetenmeyer-Woltmann   🩷 “People make decisions on emotions. When they enter a space, they need to experience the possibilities.” - Jason Roberts   🩷 “If you don’t build trust, you won’t succeed in your project.” - Robert Douglas McKaye 🩷 “It’s not only about emissions but also resource, scarcity, ecosystems, fire safety and health.” -Anne-Sofie Drud Gregersen 🩷 “Late design changes are expensive and less effective. That’s why we need to come with a strategy and develop our tools and to tackle the early design stages." - Sophia S. Pibal 🩷 “Imagine trying to put out the fire with just a teaspoon of water. If we all use a teaspoon it will fill a bucket. Take your teaspoon and start the action - it’s time to take care of the planet.” - Ronni Kahn   🩷 “The thing about walking is you don’t need anything special for it — there’s no cool gear, no lifestyle branding. So how do we make walking feel more attractive & exciting — maybe even sexy?” -Martina Gleissenebner-Teskey   🩷 “Testing out new ways of building and constructing though pilot projects is an inspiring way of driving change.” - Pia Bodahl   🩷 "How do we story tell in a way that motivates the community to take ACTION?” - Michael Shank, Ph.D. Thank you to everyone who took the stage and those who filled the rooms with questions, curiosity and connection! 🫶 You are our heroes!

Big thanks to our amazing exhibitors for bringing the Urban Future 2025 Expo Lounge to life with your inspiring stories, fresh ideas and bold innovations! We loved seeing our community in action — real people making real moves toward a more sustainable future. 💛 And hey, sometimes the next big step starts with something as simple as a great conversation at a conference booth... What stuck with you from the UF25 expo lineup? We’d love to hear your takeaways! 💬👇 ................................................................................... Invest in Lodz (Central Poland) @lodzcreates | AIT Austrian Institute of Technology @aittomorrow2day | BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt @bmwfoundation | Embassy of Denmark in Poland @denmarkinpoland | Driving Urban Transitions Partnership | Duda Development | Greater Porto @greaterporto25 | Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union @poland25eu | LEGO Education @lego | Urban Impact @urbanimpact.agency | IKEA @ikea | European Space Agency - ESA | Eurotowns @eurotowns | European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) | iChoosr @ichoosrglobal | ICLEI Europe | KITEO GmbH | Laudes Foundation | NetZeroCitiesEU @netzerocitieseu | Ride + Park @rideandpark | ROCKWOOL Group @rockwool_group | SuperUrbanity @superurbanity | Vilnius City Municipality @govilnius | VELUX @velux | Veolia @veolia

It’s time to shed light on the best-kept secret of the conference! ✨🔦🤫    Revealing next year’s event location! Here we go.  DRUMROLL PLEASE...🥁   The Better-Cities Event of 2026 will be hosted by: 🇸🇮 LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA!!! 🇸🇮   We made unforgettable memories in Łódź — and we can’t wait to do it again next year. New Space. New Stories. Fresh Perspectives. Let’s go. 💛

How do we make our cities better, greener, & more future-ready? 💚 One way: gather countless passionate souls together for change. The number of truth bombs that can come out of one session is mind-blowing. 🤯🧠   The Better-Cities Event of 2025 in the striving city of Łódź  - YES!  💭 What did you think, #CityChangers?

WHAT A DAY. 👊🏼🔥  Leaders, city reps, activists & change-makers all came together to connect, share and take action. 💬🌍     Quotes of the day:   💛 “What we need now is harmony. I think architecture and design are agents of peace & change.” - Mehmet KALYONCU   💛 “Strong city brands aren’t built alone - they’re shared. Involving the right partners expands your reach, trust, and creative impact.” - Tamlyn Shimizu   💛 “A sensible city begins by addressing real needs, not abstract theories.” - Remigijus Simasius @remigijussimasius   💛 “GenAl is about support, not replacement” - Michał Kuszewski   💛 “I think heritage has to be adapted for people, because heritage without people is not functioning, it is just decaying.” - Laura Kairieneė @laura.grainyte @govilnius   💛 “The solution to the great challenges of our time lies at the intersection among science, technology, politics and public consensus.” - Rodolfo Pinto @rodolfopinto1   💛 “Sustainability is a data challenge. Let’s solve it.” - Alexandra Großkurth   💛 “A sustainable system transition to climate-resilient cities needs to integrate top-down as well as bottom-up changes.“ - Ernst Gebetsroither-Geringer   💛 We’re seeing what happens when cities stop hesitating and start doing.” - Lily Munson   ....and SO many more important takeaways!     Thanks to our amazing speakers, tireless volunteers and every single CityChanger who made today unforgettable.    Let’s keep the momentum going today! 💪

This moment.✨ Wow - thank you @tutipsy! 🫶

💛 Welcome to Urban Future 2025 – let’s do this, together! 🩷   Sessions have started, speakers are taking the stage, and the venue is alive with purpose. 📣 The Better-Cities Event 2025 - it’s happening!