Get ready for the Opening Plenary at the POLIS Conference 2025!
The Annual POLIS Conference 2025, hosted by the City of Utrecht, is just around the corner, and we are thrilled to reveal the line-up for our Opening Plenary!
After a record-breaking edition in Karlsruhe last year, the upcoming POLIS Conference is set to open with a powerful and thought-provoking session titled 'Happy if Healthy: Mobility as a Mood', which will explore how the way we move shapes how we live and feel.
During this high-level session, our speakers will delve into the intricate connections between health and urban mobility. The discussion will highlight how sustainable transport systems, active travel modes, and equitable urban design can improve physical and mental well-being, reduce pollution-related health risks, and enhance overall quality of life in cities.
Speakers will also explore how data-driven policymaking, cross-sector collaboration, and the upcoming United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035) can foster healthier, more resilient urban environments for all.
Meet our Opening Speakers:
The plenary will kick off with opening speeches from Karen Vancluysen, POLIS Secretary General, and Senna Maatoug, POLIS President & Deputy Mayor, City of Utrecht.
Meet our Keynote Speaker: Sam William Johnson
Sam William Johnson, Sustainable Transport Specialist at the World Bank and Visiting Researcher at the Technical University of Eindhoven, will set the tone with an inspiring keynote on how cities can reimagine mobility to improve human health, happiness, and urban vitality.
With his extensive background in transport infrastructure planning, financing, and advisory for national governments across the world, Sam co-leads the World Bank’s Active Mobility Community of Practitioners. A passionate advocate for people-centric design, Sam champions the shift away from car dependency toward fun, vibrant, and equitable cities that prioritise active travel and well-being.
Meet our Panellists
Our high-profile panel will bring together leading voices from health, policy, and mobility to discuss how cities can make healthier choices easier, more accessible, and more enjoyable:
- Francesca Racioppi, Head of Office, WHO European Centre for Environment & Health, WHO Healthy Cities Network/THEPEP
- Anne Stauffer, Deputy Director, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
- Christian Horemans, Expert International Affairs, Union Nationale de Mutualités Libres/Landsbond van Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen, Belgium
- Raoul Schmidt-Lamontain, Deputy mayor for Climate, Environment and Mobility, City of Heidelberg
- and more...
Together, they will explore how cities and organisations can work together to build healthier, happier, and more resilient urban futures, where mobility is not just a means of getting around, but a key ingredient for well-being.
Important updates you might have missed
We have updated our programme with information about our Plenaries and additional sponsors that have joined our roster—you can download it here.
Moreover, you should check out the Travelling & Accommodation document to make sure you can experience Utrecht to the fullest.
While the early-bird discount deadline has passed, you can still register for the POLIS Conference: