The Cities Forum 2026 programme tackles the key issues of urban development and planning

The Madrid Cities Forum 2026 has published its programme, covering the urban management issues needed for more sustainable, resilient city growth. Two of its four auditoriums — 'Sustainable Urban Development' and 'Human Wellbeing' — will host the sessions on planning and regeneration, urban agendas, climate adaptation, renaturalisation and strategic plans. Highlights include the four Urban Dialogues featuring more than 12 national and international cities: Turin, Berlin, Bogotá, Medellín, Wroclaw, Calgary, Munich, Prague, Izmir, Lyon and Guimarães, alongside Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Pamplona and Vitoria-Gasteiz, plus experts such as Ruud Schuthof, deputy regional director of ICLEI Europe, and Ed Baker, chairman of London urbanism studio Broadway Malyan. Spain's Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda will stage a debate on the metropolitan dimension of urban agendas with five territories including A Coruña, Granada and Bilbao, and further sessions will examine Madrid's new Strategic Plan, the real estate sector's role in city design, URBACT good practices and urban regeneration with ASA and the CSCAE 2030 Observatory. The resilience block covers climate adaptation with the FEMP's Network of Cities for Climate and UN-Habitat's 'Cities that Overcome' project, while the urban nature strand adds four sessions and the third Tree Award ceremony. The remaining two auditoriums are devoted to technological innovation and the circular economy.