Urban Future.

Every project has two layers.
 
The visible layer is the one we present in reports, strategies and renderings.
The invisible layer is the one people actually experience.
 
It’s the layer that answers questions like:
Can I linger here?
Do I belong here?
Should I stop and talk?
Am I welcome?
Am I safe?
 
At UF26, Session 5.5 explored how streets, squares & public spaces quietly shape behaviour.
 
It left us wondering:
How many of our projects are leading to outcomes we didn’t consciously design?
 
What’s one place you experienced that taught you the most about human behaviour? Give us your best and worst examples 👇

“What if planting a tree on your birthday became as normal as blowing out candles?”

The idea stayed with us long after the 𝘞𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴 session at Urban Future. 

In Ljubljana, Bruno Doedens shared his vision for “Birthday Forests,” or places where residents plant a tree each year to celebrate another year around the sun.A shared ritual. A visible reminder that cities are shaped by thousands of individual decisions.

The session covered: urban planning, policy, funding, climate adaptation & civic action. The big question:
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐝-𝐨𝐧?

Within the depth of the discussion, one thing that stands out is how often we approach urban greening from the wrong end. A lot of time & effort is spent on targets, strategies & implementation plans. They matter, but we need public support & political backing first.

The speakers (shout out to Tanja Tötzer, Michiel Van Driessche, Heinrich Strößenreuther & Miriam Staley) approached this from different angles, emphasizing: storytelling & imagination; data demonstrations that prove the cooling impact of trees to help cities prioritise action; and, of course, experience sharing. Did you know Berlin turned widespread support for trees into a €3 billion climate adaptation law?

A few ideas for our community:

🌳 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. The shade they provide, the cooling effect they create and the resilience they add to neighbourhoods are becoming increasingly essential in a warming climate.
🌳 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. Children can be given the opportunity to mark their birthdays or their first day of school with this simple act, and watch it grow alongside themselves.
🌳 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬. Artists, planners, researchers, policymakers and communities could be in the same conversation from the start. The most interesting projects rarely emerge from one discipline alone.

What simple ritual could help people in your city feel more connected to nature? 🌿🦋💚

Urban Future is where CityChangers meet in person – and where collaborations & conversations continue long after the event.
 
Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing the 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯? podcast series, which explores how to bring nature back into cities! 🍃🚦🐞

⤷ The team behind connected with several Urban Future speakers to dive deep into the topic, starting with Birgit Rusten from FutureBuilt in Oslo, Norway.📍

is a municipality-owned development programme that uses pilot projects to demonstrate the value of Nature-based Solutions.
Their work helps projects to:
🌿 Preserve nature with high ecological value
🌱 Restore degraded biodiversity
🌳 Create opportunities for nature to thrive in urban environments
💧 Compensate for unavoidable impacts on blue-green habitats
 
It’s vital work. Globally, we’re still falling short of UN targets to protect 30% of land and water ecosystems and restore 30% of degraded nature by 2030.
 
🎧 In the episode, also shares how FutureBuilt rethinks urban development by involving citizens from the very beginning. One example is Magasinparken School, where the school grounds become a public park outside school hours – a simple idea with lasting value for the community.
 
Even better, FutureBuilt’s framework is available free of charge and can be adopted or adapted by cities around the world (link in article). But before you download it...
 
Listen to this conversation with Birgit on 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯? now! 👉

The glitter ball has us in the mood. 🪩

So we’re starting our 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘝𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴 playlist on , and we want 𝐘𝐎𝐔 to help shape the soundtrack!
🎶 & stories

What’s one song that absolutely has to be on it?

Drop it below and dance along! 🕺🏾💃
👇👇👇

How do we build cities of many centres — not just one dominant core?
 
That was the central question of one of the most thought-provoking sessions at UF26, where cities across Europe shared how they are responding to growth, shrinkage, mobility pressures, housing challenges, and changing ideas of urban life.
 
🇮🇹🇸🇮 Gorizia & Nova Gorica showed how former border cities are using shared public spaces, mobility, and culture to build a common urban identity.
 
🇪🇸 Madrid explored how new hubs for innovation, housing, mobility, and green infrastructure can help redistribute opportunity beyond the historic centre.
 
🇱🇹 Vilnius reflected on urban sprawl and fragmented development, using the “15-minute city” as a tool to identify gaps in services and public life.
 
🇱🇻 Riga shared how neighborhood-centred planning, participation, and targeted investment can help cities navigate population decline and build long-term trust.
 
Across all discussions, a few themes stood out strongly:
→ public space as social infrastructure
→ mobility as a question of equity
→ participation as a long-term trust-building process
→ and polycentricity as both a planning and governance challenge
 
One of the strongest takeaways from the session:

Resilient cities are not built around one centre of gravity, but through connected neighborhoods where opportunity, culture, services, and public life are more evenly distributed.
 
Huge thanks to Jeni Cross, Inmaculada Sánchez - Cervera Valdés, Signe Pērkone, Augustas Makrickas, Samo Turel and Rodolfo Ziberna for such open and practical conversations in session 1.2. 👏

“We can’t be perfect in any of our roles. What’s more; we don’t have to be. Men never are.”
- Ricarda Götz-Preisner

Urban Future speaker Ricarda Götz-Preisner from the City of Vienna shared a powerful perspective on inclusive cities, feminist leadership & the invisible pressures women carry every day.
👉
 
In her interview with Nika Vistoropski at Delo, Ricarda highlighted several initiatives shaping Vienna’s approach to equality:
✧ Funding women’s shelters, crisis hotlines, and 30+ NGOs supporting girls and women
✧ Free workshops on consent, workplace rights, violence prevention, and media literacy
✧ “Daughters’ Day,” helping girls explore careers where women are underrepresented
✧ Youth participation programs like Vienna’s Children and Youth Parliament
 
Ricarda’s fierce & deeply human perspective continues to stay with us.
💬 “Women are not an afterthought or an exception, but represent more than half of the population.”
💬 “I believe in dialogue, even when it is uncomfortable. If we don’t open these conversations, others will shape them for us.”
 
We’re grateful to share the UF stage with people who challenge systems, inspire dialogue & push for cities that truly work for everyone. 🙌

Thank you, Ricarda, for your honesty, courage & optimism!