Cities Forum 2025: early insights and highlights from Kraków

Voices of cities and visions for the future of Europe

Co-organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the European Urban Initiative (EUI), the Cities Forum provided a unique platform to discuss both the implementation of Cohesion policy investments in sustainable urban development and other EU policy initiatives for cities. It also facilitated knowledge sharing and capacity building, while contributing to the future the EU policy agenda for cities.

A strong political presence across all levels

The Forum opened with high-level discussions reaffirming the central role of cities in delivering the green and digital transitions. Over the course of the three-day event, 532 city representatives from 36 countries, together with EU leaders, shared their visions for a more resilient and forward-looking urban Europe.

A contribution to the future of EU urban policy

Featuring 119 speakers from local, regional, national and EU institutions, as well as from NGOs, academia and EU programmes — with 55% women speakers — the Cities Forum’s 29 sessions, held both onsite and online, tackled urgent topics including housing affordability, climate action, digital innovation, funding access and stakeholder engagement. All sessions were designed to gather concrete input from the audience, directly feeding into the EU policy agenda for cities.

A vibrant multilevel networking space

With 70% of participants representing cities, alongside regional authorities, national governments, EU institutions and civil society, the forum offered a dynamic platform for multilevel exchange. Cities Forum 2025 was the place to be for urban practitioners to connect and explore new ways of collaborating. This networking will continue on Portico, the EU’s urban knowledge-sharing platform.

Forward-looking and inclusive

The forum catered to both experienced urban changemakers and newcomers, offering participants a valuable opportunity to explore the latest developments in EU urban initiatives and policies through:

• 15 exhibition stands showcasing key programmes and tools

• 13 site visits across Kraków, offering tangible examples of sustainable urban transformation

• Hundreds of inspiring solutions accessible via Portico’s knowledge hub

Next steps

All materials from the event — including the event report, presentations and recordings of streamed sessions — will be made available soon on Portico, like the results of the Eurobarometer survey on cities.

The insights gathered during the Forum will help shape the next milestones in the EU’s urban policy, reinforcing the essential role of cities in building a greener, fairer and more innovative Europe.

Keep the conversation going on Portico

Continue networking, access resources, and connect with peers from across Europe on Portico, the EU’s one-stop shop for urban practitioners. As the event platform is now deactivated, visit the profiles of the participants you met during the event in the Portico community. 

A collective thank you

Sincere thanks are extended to all participants for their energy, expertise, and commitment!  The Cities Forum 2025 confirmed what was already known: Europe’s urban future is being shaped from the ground up, and it is more collaborative, ambitious and inclusive than ever.