URBAN FUTURE CONGRESS 2026 - LJUBLJANA

Ljubljana means beloved in Slovenian, and the city is one of the leading progressive, green cities in Europe. Compact and romantic, Slovenia is home to Slavoj Zizek, architect Joze Plecnik (RIP), Melania Trump, the best cyclist in the world - Tadej Pogacar, and UEFA president Alexander Ceferin. Impressive for a nation of just 2 million people (how many Slovakians can you name!).This former Yugoslav Republic is a go-ahead member of the EU since 2004, and a pioneer in ecological matters, particularly removing cars from the centre of its capital. It will play host to the Urban Future Conference in March 2026.

Whoosh and Urban Future will intersect once again (after our projects in Wien 2018, Oslo 2019, Helsingborg (Sweden) 2022, Stuttgart 2023, and Lodz (Poland) 2025, to do something new and special in Slovenia.

Eugene Quinn from Whoosh (who has never had a driver's licence) will be presenting a lecture on 'Better Uses for Streets than Cars' for the Better Streets EU initiative; challenging delegates to a Pub Quiz on Urbanism; hosting a session on how smaller towns can raise their visibility & reverse the brain-drain - while reducing their reliance on cars; making a PowerPoint on How to Annoy Politicians; and leading a panel on how Placemaking and the post-pandemic moment can revive playful tactical urbanism

And - as ever - Eugene will represent Vienna innovation to the world. His home town is misunderstood through its waltzing chocolate cake image as a dusty museum - BUT IS IN FACT A SUCCESSFUL, PROGRESSIVE ALTERNATIVE TO TURBO CAPITALISM.

#bethere #urbanfuture #ljubljana