Urban Future

👋 Say HI to Cornelia from our programme team!  Today she's introducing us to Track 1: Driving Change with Networks 🌍💬   At Urban Future, we believe real change doesn’t happen alone. This track is all about building powerful alliances, sharing tools for collaboration, and learning how to spark momentum—together.💥   Highlights include: 🔗 Making First Connections 🤝 Swiping Right on Unlikely Partners 🧠 The Most Powerful Person in the Room …and more!    🆕 🆕 Explore the full track, sessions and new speakers in our freshly UPDATED programme — https://lnkd.in/e9u-tTd5 🆕 🆕     P.S. Field trip registration opens next week for ticket holders! So get your ticket NOW - go go go! 🎟️ urban-future.org/tickets May 21–23 | Łódź, Poland  

Hey Urban Innovators! 👋 Do you have a real-world solution with impact — and you're ready to scale to more cities?   As part of Urban Future 2025, BABLE Smart Cities is bringing back the Urban Shark Tank! 🦈 Join this high-energy session where you can bring your proven urban solutions to a panel of city leaders.    Go head-to-head with other applicants & earn: 🌊 expert feedback 🌊 valued visibility &  🌊 the chance to take your project Europe-wide!   We’re looking for:  ✅ Solutions already implemented & proven in at least one city ✅ Scalable ideas across urban contexts ✅ Contributions to smarter, more sustainable cities     Urban Future Session 4.10:  Sink or Swim | Welcome to the Urban Shark Tank 🗓 22 May | 11:00–12:30 📥 Apply by 18 April, 11:00 CEST 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eiuMYupk   This isn’t just a pitch—it’s your platform to grow, connect & scale. 

Have you heard about the sustainable fashion show coming to Łódź on the evening of May 20? 💃 The city is hosting 𝘛𝘙𝘌𝘕𝘋 𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕 — a circular fashion show at the iconic Fabryczna station, with Elle Polska as the main media partner. ♻️🚂 "A unique evening artistic part is dedicated to climate education... The organizers place special emphasis on textiles, the heritage and engine of Łódź's development... The show, directed by fashion world icon Waldek Szymkowiak, is to emphasize the trend of individual and balanced approach to clothing and opposition to the fast-fashion phenomenon." Thank you Elle Polska for introducing your audience to Urban Future ❤️ "The Urban Future Conference is one of the largest events in the world, which focuses on the future of cities, sustainable development and innovations in urban planning... not only a debate, but also practical solutions that can be adopted by cities around the world." 📖 https://lnkd.in/dZ_YqfPM Invest in Lodz (Central Poland) Anna Wierzbicka, PhD Play Sustain Waldek Szymkowiak Tomasz Armada, Sandra Skórka, Monika Surowiec Michał Szulc Magdalena Martin - Walczak Martina Gleissenebner-Teskey

Celebrating Łódź Events in May! 🇵🇱 May 20-May 23: the most climate-friendly week in Poland   Yesterday's press breakfast announced: 💚 Polish Climate Summit including TrendStation - Sustainable Fashion Show 💚 Urban Future - The Better-Cities Event 💚 EV Experience - E-Mobility Picnic   🎤 “The trick for cities like ours is turning deficits into strengths. After all....we are among the leading local governments driving transformation in Europe,” — Adam Pustelnik, Deputy Mayor of Łódź   🌱 “No one really doubts that climate change is not just a slogan — it’s happening.” — Anna Wierzbicka, PhD, Director, Dept. of Environmental Shaping   💬 “Urban Future 2025 is not just a conference - it is a movement that inspires and motivates real action for better, more resilient and inclusive cities and an infinite pool of inspiration - where real stories, real solutions, and real impact take center stage." — Gerald Babel-Sutter, CEO & Co-Founder of Urban Future     Will you be in Łódź this May? Let us know in the comments! 

Programme Highlights 🌟 Let's shine a light on Track 0: Sessions You Don't Want to Miss!    🔹 0.2. Boomers X GenZ 🔹 The planet’s in trouble — blamed on older generations, while the youth are seen as too lazy to fix it. But what happens when generations team up? In this session, we explore powerful collaborations between Gen Z and older changemakers, busting stereotypes and driving real impact. Learn what makes these partnerships work — and what can break them. Moderator: Miriam Staley | Speakers: Jacob Hartmann, TC Guthey Schwartzkopff, Wolfgang Frey, & Helen Zoe Frey 🔹 0.3. Eco over Ego🔹 For the first time, U.S. and European parents prefer daughters over sons—girls are seen as more empathetic, responsible, and growth-oriented. Women also outperformed as leaders during the pandemic, and female-led groups show greater resilience. Why does this matter? In collaboration, ego takes a back seat. 'Female' leadership traits — like empathy and reflection — are key to success. Join this session to explore what makes collaborations work (and what doesn’t). Moderator: Zoë Dattner | Speakers: Maral Koohestanian, Ronni Kahn AO, & Supriya Garikipati 🔹 0.4. How to Annoy Politicians🔹 Changemakers make cities better — but not everyone’s thrilled, especially when they break the rules or gain media attention and support. That’s when they start annoying politicians. Join this session to learn how to be a more effective (and strategic) troublemaker. Moderator: Michael Shank, Ph.D. | Speakers: Jason Roberts, Reena Mahajan, Krista Kampus, Heinrich Strößenreuther, elisabeth Meze, & Robert Douglas McKaye   ............................................... Which session are you most excited about? We'll dive into the other four Tracks starting next week! 👉🏼 Programme: https://lnkd.in/dNpxJV2A 🎟️ Tickets: https://lnkd.in/edhFH2pm 🩷 Łódź | May 21-23, 2025

I’ll be at Urban Future in Łódź this year! Are you going? 🌏🌍🌎 I’m excited as this is the first Urban Future event I am attending and it will be fun to see spaces of Łódź come alive with urban change makers from around the world. 👏🏽I’m also excited as I’m bringing my youngest child with me. Motherhood transformed how I view and experience towns and cities and this will be a special opportunity for a Mama & Daughter adventure to a dynamic urban conference. 🖍️I’m also very interested in how such events can develop to integrate children’s programming, offering opportunities for kids of passionate urbanists attending these events as well as local youth to have parallel programming catered for them as well as activities that integrate all generations. 💡 I’d love to be part of momentum and activities to make such a thing happen and have a lot of ideas for events that both offer professionally enriching engagement for adult participants and also are inclusive for youth and welcome them to participate in thought and dialogue about positive urban change. If you’re interested to collaborate feel free to message 📮 #urbanism

🚲👨🏻🦽What if your city’s streets were designed for 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 — not just cars? 🛹🤸🏽♀️ In this episode of The CityChangers.org Podcast, we dive into the Just Streets EU project, dedicated to doing just that. Marco Te Brömmelstroet and Adrian Fratila unpack what “justice” means in urban design, how to handle naysayers, and whether Dutch-style mobility is really the one cities should be aspiring to model. Spoiler: It’s not a one-size-fits-all! 🎧 Tune in for fresh ideas on making our streets fairer, friendlier, more sustainable and safe! https://lnkd.in/dTiPRTQS ………………………………………… You can meet some of the Just Streets team at The Better-Cities Event this May in Łódź!  🎟️ urban-future.org ………………………………………… More at Just Streets🚶♂️🚴♀️: https://lnkd.in/db3rQXiS

Heartfelt shoutout to our amazing UF25 partners! 🎉   Urban Future is teaming up with 100+ partners to spark change this May!  Check them all out here: https://lnkd.in/dkt2aJXs   We’re counting down the days until we unite in Łódź  — and we simply could not do it without you! 🙌   👋 Mark your calendars: May 21-23 — big love for being part of this wild, impactful ride! 🫶🏽 ..................................................................................................... Invest in Lodz (Central Poland) | Google | ROCKWOOL Group | VELUX | iChoosr | Laudes Foundation | Veolia | Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union | Architektura&Biznes | A City Made By People | Kommunal | KOMMUNAL Deutschland | URBCAST | What's that green? | AIT Austrian Institute of Technology | Mobility Makers | European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) | Go Vilnius | Greater Porto | JPI Urban Europe | Driving Urban Transitions Partnership | Eurotowns | Embassy of Denmark in Poland | World Resources Institute | ICLEI Europe | ICLEI | Laudes Foundation | ...AND SO MANY MORE!

🚸 Łódź’s first School Street is coming! 🚸 Tired of cars ruling Czerwona Road in Łódź — and inspired at Urban Future — Karolina Taczalska just DID it...she rallied a community to reclaim their street. 🚲🌳    With city-approved changes—like greenery, safer crossings, and even a red-painted road—they’re proving small steps lead to big impact!   "Any improvement is worth the effort. Any life saved makes all this worthwhile," Karolina says. 💛   Will this spark more people-friendly streets across Europe? 👉 Read the CityChangers.org story: https://lnkd.in/dfU-YUds   ……………………………………………………..   P.S. See it in person at the Better-Cities Event in Łódź this May! 🎟️ urban-future.org

👋 Brace yourself for the next wave of UF25 speakers! 🌊  ~ decision-makers ~ innovators ~ game-changers ~ They’re set to take the stage at the Better-Cities Event in Łódź 👉 ready to inspire and challenge the future.   These are the minds shaping tomorrow! Who are you most looking forward to meeting? Comment below! 💬