CIVITAS Forum 2026
The CIVITAS Forum 2026, the flagship event of the CIVITAS Initiative, will take place from 15-17 September 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Since 2003, the CIVITAS Forum has brought together city representatives, policymakers, practitioners, planners, academics, and mobility enthusiasts to exchange ideas and shape the future of smart, inclusive, and sustainable urban mobility.
The 2026 theme is 'Roots & Routes: Moving Forward to Competitive, Connected and Resilient Urban Mobility!' and the programme is structured around three umbrella topics: competitiveness, connectivity, and resilience.
Where to find POLIS
DAY 1
OPENING PLENARY (13:15-14:30)
Plenary session 'Competitive Urban Mobility: Scaling Innovation, Industry, and Investment Pipelines'
- Emilios Riadis (Plenary Room)
- MoC: Dan Sobovitz, European Start-up Prize for Mobility
- Moderator: Ewa Ptaszynska (CINEA)
- Keynote speeches: Eric von Breska (DG MOVE), Aggeloudis Stelios (City of Thessaloniki), George Kotsiras (Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport), Vassilis Kappatos (Hellenic Institute of Transport, CERTH)
- Speakers: Karen Vancluysen (POLIS), Eric von Breska (DG MOVE), Neil Valentine (EIB), EIC representative (tbc)
PARALLEL SESSIONS I (14:45-16:00)
Session 'City-Region Connectivity and TEN-T Urban Nodes: Integrated Planning and Cross-Border Coordination'
- Moderator: Anne Charlotte Trapp, Eurocities
- Speakers: Carolina Ramos Fallù (Panteia), Marianne Weinreich (Weinreich Mobility), Oona Uusitalo (City of Turku)
PARALLEL SESSIONS II (17:00-18:15)
POLIS member Breda University of Applied Sciences will appear in the session 'Mobility Skills & Workforce for the Transition', and Dublin, Hamburg, Madrid, and Helsinki in the session 'Urban Air Mobility Strategies: City Perspectives and Lessons Learned'.
DAY 2
PARALLEL SESSIONS III (11:15-12:15)
POLIS members Gothenburg and Hamburg will appear in the session 'Active Mobility for Liveable, Healthy Cities—How Cities Make It Happen (Part I)', BKK Centre for Budapest Transport will participate in the session 'Data-Driven Mobility: AI, Digital Twins and Urban Transport (Part I), and Antwerp in the session 'Inclusive & Accessible Public Transport for All (Part I)'.
PARALLEL SESSIONS V (15:45-17:00)
POLIS members North Rhine-Westphalia and BKK Centre for Budapest Transport will take part in the session 'National and Local Cooperation for the Next Generation of SUMPs', and Mobility Lab Vitoria Gasteiz and CERTH in the session 'Urban Freight Data Connectivity and System Operations: From Data Sharing to Measurable Outcomes'.
DAY 3
CLOSING PLENARY (9:30-10:45)
Plenary session 'Connected Tourism Mobility: Managing Visitor Flows and Liveability in European Cities'
- Emilios Riadis (Plenary Room)
- MoC: Dan Sobovitz, European Start-up Prize for Mobility
- Moderator: Nina Nesterova (BUAS)
- Speakers: Stelios Angeloudis (City of Thessaloniki), Cristina Nunez (NECSTouR), Françoise Guaspare (Île-de-France)
PARALLEL SESSIONS VI (11:30-13:00)
POLIS members CERTH and the Province of South Holland will appear in the session 'Sustainable Tourism Mobility' and Helmond and Leuven in the session 'CCAM for Cities: From Testbeds to Procured Services'.
SIDE EVENTS
On 15 September 2026, POLIS, together with CERTH, the Region of Central Macedonia (RCM), and the Municipality of Oslo, will host a workshop on data and decision-making in SUMP implementation. Find more info at this link.
Check the full programme here.
More info
Registrations are now open.
Visit the CIVITAS website for more information.