Urban Future Unveils Inspiring Programme

The Better-Cities Event goes to Łódź this May

March 4, 2025 | Łódź, Poland – The highly anticipated Urban Future 2025 (UF25) is set to take place in Łódź, Poland, from May 21-23, 2025, bringing together over 2,000 urbanists, city leaders, and change-makers from around the world.

With an inspiring lineup of 250 speakers, 100 partners, and 150 mayors and city representatives, UF25 promises to be the most engaging and solution-driven event in the urban innovation space.

The speakers, sessions, field trips and side events will fill the conference week to the brim with content, all with one goal: to make our cities better.

To view the official programme, click HERE.

A bold agenda for a better future

The UF25 programme has been meticulously co-created with insights from global experts to address some of the most pressing challenges facing cities today. Through five dynamic tracks, attendees will gain actionable knowledge on topics such as:

• Comeback Cities: Learning from cities that have successfully revitalized themselves.
• Retrofitting Buildings: Transforming existing structures into climate-friendly spaces.
• Renaturing Cities: Integrating nature into urban planning for resilience and well-being.
• Driving Change with Networks: Leveraging collaboration to accelerate urban transformation.
• Highlight Sessions: Featuring cutting-edge discussions on leadership, sustainability, and innovation.

Łódź awaits with unmissable sessions and experiences

Key highlights of UF25 include thought-provoking sessions such as Boomers X GenZ: How Generations Drive Change with Purpose, How to Annoy Politicians – Is This Still Legal?, and the Cities F** Up Show, where leaders share candid lessons from urban transformation failures.

The event also features exclusive networking opportunities, 30 immersive field trips, and hands-on workshops designed to turn insights into action.

On the third day, attendees can explore Łódź’s vibrant cultural and industrial landscape through 30 curated field trips, including Underground & Uncovered: Łódź’s Hidden Rivers, Hop on the Tram of Time, or City Centre Revitalization Tour.

So much more than a conference!

Much of what participants take away from Urban Future happens between sessions, during breaks or after the conference day.

Some side events that will take place during the Urban Future Week include: The Polish Climate Summit; the Sustainable Fashion Show in Polands textile hot spot; OFF 2 EAT: Urban Future’s #1 social gathering at OFF Piotrkowska; EV experience – the biggest electric automotive picnic in Poland; or a Movie Night by the JUST STREETS EU project consortium.

Who will be there

Game-changers from fields such as urban planning, architecture, mobility, energy, real estate and construction meet without barriers, regardless of organisational form or hierarchy.

“What ties these dynamic urban change-makers together is their unwavering drive to elevate city life,” says Gerald Babel-Sutter, CEO and co-founder of Urban Future. "This event is designed to spark real change in cities worldwide."

Countless passionate urban changemakers will take the stage at Urban Future, sharing not just their successes but also their failures and challenges. For a list of the change-makers who are expected to speak at UF25, click HERE.

Together, making a difference

More than 100 international organisations and businesses are collaborating with UF25. Among the partners are Rockwool Group, Velux, Google, iChoosr, Laudes Foundation, C40, All Things Urban, Vilnius, AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology, Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, Eurocities, Eurotowns, World Resources Institute and many more. For a complete list, click HERE.

Accreditation for journalists is now officially open. You are welcome to sign up for UF25 HERE.