Ljubljana Welcomes 2,000 Urban Unicorns for Urban Future 2026

Ljubljana, March 25, 2026 – The Better-Cities Event opens today in Ljubljana, bringing together around 2,000 urbanists and changemakers from 290 cities in 48 countries. At the heart of the event are the “Urban Unicorns”.

At today’s press conference at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, Gerald Babel-Sutter, Co-Founder and CEO of Urban Future; Dejan Crnek, Deputy Mayor of the City of Ljubljana; and Honorata Grzesikowska, international expert in urban development, set the tone for the days ahead. Their shared message was clear: city transformation does not happen through vision alone. It requires courage, persistence, collaboration, and practical action.

Gerald Babel-Sutter highlighted the power of community in driving urban transformation and pointed to the people behind real progress in cities: bold innovators within city administrations, determined changemakers in neighbourhoods, and constructive rebels who keep pushing change forward. He stressed that transformation happens when people do not feel alone, when they find direction, and when they keep going even when change is difficult.

“It is about not letting others define what is possible, staying persistent enough to ask ‘why?’, and connecting with other urban unicorns to find new ways forward,” said Gerald Babel-Sutter.

Dejan Crnek shared Ljubljana’s perspective as host city, underlining the qualities that make the Slovenian capital a leading example for visiting city leaders, from liveability, walkability and green space. Reflecting on why Ljubljana is a natural fit for Urban Future, he said: “Ljubljana is a strong fit for Urban Future because over the past 20 years, we have gone through a real transformation, learning from mistakes and working closely with our residents. What people feel in the city today is not accidental, but the result of passion and a shared vision of a city people want to live in.”

Bringing a wider international perspective, Honorata Grzesikowska emphasised the importance of opportunities like Urban Future in helping cities learn from one another and accelerate change. She highlighted the value of creating space for honest exchange between practitioners, including sharing what has worked, what has failed, and what can be adapted elsewhere.

“We need more events like this. Ljubljana has made a smart move in hosting Urban Future because it brings together people who are actually doing the work. This is where cities can openly share their experiences, knowledge, and even failed attempts. The real value of that knowledge is that it is transferable: participants can take what works, adapt it to their own context, and apply it in their own cities. Very often, real change starts from the bottom up,” said Honorata Grzesikowska.

A common thread ran through all three perspectives: direction matters, courage matters, but follow-through matters most. That is the spirit of Urban Future 2026 in Ljubljana this week, bringing together the people who are not only imagining better cities, but doing the work to build them.

As cities face increasing pressure to deliver on climate, equity, and quality of life, Urban Future 2026 makes one thing clear: transformation is not a distant goal. It is already happening, city by city. And no city is ever finished.