What does it take for a city to reinvent itself? For Łódź, Poland’s third-largest city and a symbol of post-industrial decline, the answer lies in community-driven innovation, climate resilience, and strategic partnerships. As host of Urban Future 2025, Łódź didn’t just showcase its transformation - it offered a new blueprint for cities across Europe.

Once shaped by abandoned textile factories and depopulation, Łódź is now reimagining its past as the foundation for a climate-smart and inclusive future. Revitalised industrial spaces, green public areas, and adaptive infrastructure reflect a shift toward sustainability rooted in citizen engagement. The benefits are clear: jobs, better public spaces, and a renewed civic identity.

Urban Future 2025 became a platform not only to highlight Łódź’s story but to connect it with broader urban change. ICLEI Member cities including Ghent, Warsaw, Cascais, Cesena, and Tampere shared hands-on experiences, showing how cities across Europe are making transitions fair, participatory, and resilient. Their insights made one thing clear: transformation isn’t only about infrastructure - it’s about trust, collaboration, and inclusive governance.

ICLEI’s role is to support, connect, and scale these local successes. As a long-standing ICLEI Member, Łódź embodies the type of leadership the network exists to champion.

To explore how this transformation plays out on the ground, listen to ICLEI Europe’s podcast episode “Co-inventing a greener future in Łódź,” featuring Aleksandra Sztuka, Deputy Director of Environment Management.

From water scarcity to urban greening, Łódź shows what it means to build the future - together.