Open call for innovators who want to shape the future of cities

February 2022

Topic

Sustainable City

Event

The Urban Future international gathering of changemakers is looking for impact entrepreneurs with projects making cities greener and more accesible.

Business Spirit News reporting ⬤ Author

The Urban Future event, the largest meeting for ‘City Changers’ will return as a live event in Helsingborg, Sweden, on the 1-3 June, bringing together thinkers and doers shaping the future of cities.

Organisers are calling innovators and entrepreneurs with an idea to transform cities to become more sustainable and accessible. They are looking for projects that are tackling environmental or social issues in an urban space, touching the lives of citizens and passionate about driving change.

The application is open until February 6, and 10 selected businesses will receive two complimentary conference tickets and have their travel and accommodation expenses covered.

Gerald Babel-Sutter co-founded the Urban Future global gathering in 2014 with the aim to bring together the brightest minds who strive to make their cities more sustainable and livable.

“We usually choose our topics based on the main struggles City Changers go through when driving sustainability in cities,”

said Babel-Sutter about how they decided on the focus of this year’s event.

Gerald Babel-Sutter, co-founder of Urban Future

The 2022 conference tracks combine the expertise of more than 450 leading urban shapers and will be structured around the following topics: Leadership; Changing Structures; Impact Entrepreneurs; Revitalising Neighbourhoods; Building New Districts; Skills for CityChangers.

One of the highlights of the agenda will be the transformation story of the host city, Helsingborg and how they managed to fundamentally change their operation within ten years to become a top-class hub for innovation.

“We immediately liked the fact that Helsingborg was so open with what it had tried and what worked and what didn’t,” Gerald continues.

“Helsingborg has understood that to reach their goals, they need to experiment and make mistakes along the way. In Sweden’s first municipal innovation hub Hbg Works, any idea to improve the City can be tested. A no-strings-attached vision fund invites residents to join in and realise their city development dreams.”

The Urban Future event takes place in different countries each year, offering a place for urban impact innovators to connect and exchange ideas.

Headline image: Urban Future