ICLEI Europe will once again partner with the Urban Future conference, taking place from 21–23 May 2025 in Łódź, Poland. ICLEI and representatives from its Member cities will actively contribute to key sessions on trust-building, AI for cities, citizen engagement, nature-based planning, and climate action. Speakers from Cascais, Cesena, Ghent, Warsaw, Tampere, Łódź, and others will share their expertise.

ICLEI Europe is proud to once again partner with the Urban Future conference, taking place from 21–23 May 2025 in Łódź, Poland — an ICLEI Member city. As Europe’s leading event for urban sustainability changemakers, Urban Future brings together local leaders, policymakers, researchers, and entrepreneurs dedicated to shaping thriving, climate-neutral cities.
Throughout the conference, ICLEI Europe and its Member cities will actively contribute to a diverse programme, addressing critical themes such as collaboration in political transition, the role of artificial intelligence in urban life, citizen engagement, and nature-based planning.

ICLEI Europe will co-design the session "Trust me, I’m a Change Maker" in collaboration with the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) partnership and JPI Urban Europe. Speakers include João Dinis (Climate Action Director, Cascais Ambiente, Portugal), Giulia Turci (Architect, Environmental Department, City of Cesena, Italy), and Liesbeth Bultinck (Director of Urban Renewal, City of Ghent, Belgium). The session will be co-moderated by Allison Wildman, Senior Expert in Governance Innovation at ICLEI Europe.

In "AI and Data for Better Cities", Michal Kuszewski (Project Coordinator, City of Warsaw, Poland) and Anniina Autero (Head of Development, City of Tampere, Finland) will present the latest trends in AI applications for urban governance.

Łódź Deputy Mayor Adam Pustelnik will share leadership insights in "The Most Stunning Urban Comebacks" and "Corporate Citymakers", demonstrating how cities can lead powerful transformations and compete for top talent.

The session "Mission Cities: The Polish Job" will highlight collaborative climate action efforts by Kraków, Łódź, Rzeszów, Warsaw, and Wrocław through the EU Mission Cities initiative.

Nature-based urban planning will be explored in "Delicate: Nature in Urban Planning" with Maciej Riemer (Director of Climate and Environment, City of Łódź).

Citizen engagement methods will be in focus with Jasper de Jong (City of Tampere) during "Citizen Engagement Tools and Methods" and "Walk it Off: Your Cure for Car-Brained Cities".

Finally, Bob D’Haeseleer (former Mayor of Eeklo, Belgium, and ICLEI colleague) will bravely share key lessons from past professional challenges at the popular Cities Fuck Up Show.

We invite you to join ICLEI Europe and our network of changemakers in Łódź to discover pathways toward more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities. Meet us at our exhibition space!

Find the full programme at urban-future.org.