4 Weeks to Go: Urban Future Releases Final Programme & Invites Europe’s “Urban Unicorns” to Ljubljana

180 speakers announced | Interactive art installation at Triple Bridge | Press Conference set for March 25 at 9:00 am

24. FEBRUARY 2026 | LJUBLJANA 180 Speakers have been confirmed and integrated into the official agenda, marking a key milestone for The Better-Cities Event - Europe’s leading event for city change-makers.

Urban Future refers to its participants as “urban unicorns” – a nod to those who often feel like they are the only ones pushing for change inside complex systems.

A CONFERENCE FOR THE “URBAN UNICORNS”
Around 2,000 urban leaders and decision-makers will gather in the Slovenian capital to tackle one core challenge: how cities move from ambition to implementation. In a recent message to the community, CEO and co-founder Gerald Babel-Sutter reflected on his experience working with city leaders:

"When you’re transforming cities, it can easily get lonely. You might feel like a unicorn because you see possibilities where others don’t. But that perspective is a superpower. And the more 'urban unicorns' we bring together at Urban Future, the better cities we can create."

INTERNATIONAL VOICES SHAPING THE DEBATE
Among the 180 speakers now confirmed are globally recognised thinkers and practitioners:

- David Sim, urbanist and author of Soft City, who recently translated the book into Slovenian, bringing his human-centred urban design philosophy directly into the host country’s context.
- Emma Cutting, Founder of Heartscapes, known for creating 8 kilometers of a Bee "Highway," turning nature strips in Melbourne into a living network for native bees and city life.
- Lior Steinberg, Co-Founder of Humankind and internationally-known urban planner, working to make urban happiness a serious planning goal.
- Mike Lydon, Co-Founder of Street Plans and widely considered “the father of Tactical Urbanism,” whose work has reshaped how cities test and implement change.
- Inmaculada Sanchez-Cervera, General Coordinator at the Madrid City Council, leads Madrid’s sustainability, digitalisation and international strategy to show that environmental responsibility and economic competitiveness go hand in hand.
- Safaa Charafi, Founder of Urban Inclusion, is an architect, urbanist, and internationally recognised decolonial feminist researcher working at the intersection of urban planning, and social and spatial justice.

Together, they represent a programme that blends strategic governance, grassroots experimentation, design excellence, and social equity.

ART, BELONGING AND THE CITY: GREG GOYA COMES TO LJUBLJANA
Urban Future 2026 will begin even before the official opening. Italian artist Greg Goya, known for his interactive street installations, will arrive in Ljubljana the weekend before the conference to create a public artwork at the iconic Triple Bridge. His installation aims to spark a simple but powerful feeling: belonging. Goya will also speak during the Welcome Session on March 24 and might surprise participants with additional artworks around the conference venue at GR Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre.

PRESS CONFERENCE – MARCH 25, 9:00 AM (At GR Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre)
Accredited journalists are invited to a 20-minute press conference:

📍 At GR, in room “Łódź”
🗓 March 25, 2026
⏰ 9:00–9:20 AM (before the Opening Ceremony)

Speakers include:

- Dejan Crnek, Deputy Mayor of Ljubljana
- Gerald Babel-Sutter, CEO & Co-Founder of Urban Future
- Two high-level speakers, to be announced

MEDIA ACCREDITATION
All storytellers are welcome at the press conference and beyond. We are also happy to help coordinate interviews on your behalf. Please apply for free media accreditation today, if you haven’t already.

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About Urban Future.
Conference? Festival? Event? Urban Future is everything! It is Europe’s most inspiring event for people who drive change to make our cities more sustainable. Be it mayors, architects, mobility experts, city planners, scientists, sustainability managers, representatives from start-ups, environmentalists, innovation experts or others. What unites them is their passion for better cities.

Press Contact:
Lisa Marie Weber, Head of Communications
Urban Future UFGC GmbH,
+43 669 13331321
media@urban-future.org