Key Insights from the 15th Ljubljana Forum

The 15th Ljubljana Forum (2025), held on October 2-3 at Ljubljana Castle, focused on “City of Well-Being: Sports and Recreation Infrastructure.” The forum brought together mayors, urban planners, architects, academics, financiers, NGOs, industry leaders, and young voices. Through presentations and panel discussions, participants explored how cities must evolve in response to climate pressures, social fragmentation, digital acceleration, and generational change. A central message was that cities can no longer be designed solely for efficiency, growth, or attractiveness, but must also consider well-being.

Participants engaged in the Three Horizons exercise to explore the futures of cities in 2045. The exercise encouraged reflection on short-term challenges (Horizon 1), emerging innovations (Horizon 2), and long-term transformative visions (Horizon 3), helping participants collectively envision possible pathways for urban development.

The forum concluded with the adoption of the Futures of Cities Manifesto, which emphasizes Act Together for inclusive, participatory governance; Plan Ahead using strategic foresight and long-term planning to anticipate challenges; and Deliver Well-Being by translating vision into tangible outcomes, with technology supporting social inclusion, health, sustainability, and equity.

Read the whole report by Mara Di Berardo, Mathias Behn Bjørnhof, and Blaž Golob on Futures Digest