Urban Future Unveils 2027 Istanbul Themes and New Host Partnership Model

Europe’s Better-Cities Event will explore resilient cities, civic power and urban identity, with Humane Urbanism and Türkiye Design Council joining as host partners.

Istanbul, Türkiye, 24 June 2026: Urban Future today announced the first programme themes for Urban Future 2027, taking place in Istanbul from 13 to 16 April 2027, and confirmed a new hosting model for its next edition.

For the first time, Urban Future will work with two civic organisations as host partners: Humane Urbanism and Türkiye Design Council (TDC). The Istanbul edition marks a new chapter for the Better-Cities Event, bringing together local knowledge, international expertise and cross-sector networks in one of the world’s most dynamic urban regions.

For more than a decade, Urban Future has partnered with host cities to bring its annual gathering to places including Vienna, Oslo, Rotterdam and Łódź. That city-host model remains central to Urban Future and will continue in future editions. Istanbul creates the opportunity to test a complementary approach, one that reflects how urban change happens today: through city governments, designers, planners, civic organisations, entrepreneurs, community leaders and many others working across sectors.

“Cities remain at the heart of Urban Future, and the people shaping them come from many places,” said Gerald Babel-Sutter, CEO and Co-Founder of Urban Future. “For Istanbul, we wanted to work with partners who bring strong local roots, international perspective and practical experience across design, resilience and community-centred urban development. Humane Urbanism and Türkiye Design Council give UF27 a powerful base for exploring the future of cities from new angles.”

Three Themes for UF27

Urban Future Istanbul expects more than 2,000 attendees, 250 speakers, 150 mayors and city leaders and 100 partners from around the world.

The first programme framework is built around three themes that speak directly to the pressures, opportunities and identity questions facing cities worldwide.

1. Ready Cities will explore how cities prepare for disruption and recover from crisis, from earthquakes and floods to pandemics, heat, housing stress and infrastructure shocks. The focus is practical: leadership, design, mobility systems, public space, housing, and the vital role of working with local communities to build trust and ensure responses reflect people’s needs, priorities and lived realities.
2. People-Powered Cities will look at how communities, civic innovators and local changemakers turn ideas into action. The theme asks how cities can create the conditions for participation, trust and everyday urban innovation to thrive.
3. Urban Branding will examine how cities define and communicate who they are. Beyond slogans and campaigns, the theme will focus on identity, reputation, talent attraction, investment, cultural confidence and the real urban experiences that make a city distinctive.

The final programme will be shaped with local and international experts. It will also move beyond conference rooms into Istanbul’s neighbourhoods, public spaces and urban projects, using the city as a place for direct learning, exchange and debate.

New Host Partners, Shared Mission

Urban Future is working closely with two host partners in Türkiye to bring UF27 to life.

Humane Urbanism is a global non-profit organisation that brings people and their cities together to prepare for and recover from extreme events through dialogue and collaboration. Through its work in Türkiye and internationally, the organisation supports cities in building more humane, resilient and liveable urban environments. www.humaneurbanism.org

Türkiye Design Council (TDC) is a non-governmental organisation that has worked since 2016 to strengthen design awareness in Türkiye and position design as a tool for social, cultural and economic development. Through its programmes and collaborations, TDC supports design-led thinking and creates opportunities for designers, institutions, students, professionals and local communities to work together. www.turkiyetasarimvakfi.org

Together, the partners will help connect the UF27 programme with Istanbul’s urban reality, Türkiye’s design and resilience expertise and international conversations on the future of cities.

Get Involved in UF27

Urban Future is now inviting recommendations for speakers, projects, organisations, places and partners that should be part of UF27.

The team is looking for bold urban initiatives, inspiring local leaders, strong neighbourhood stories, public space projects, mobility ideas, design approaches, recovery models and practical solutions that show what better cities can become.

Submit your recommendation here: Getting involved in UF27

Urban Future Istanbul will take place from 13 to 16 April 2027 in Istanbul, Türkiye.