OUR COMMON FUTURE – Prototyping Urban Futures
An Online Networking Event Celebrating UN World Cities Day

Join us in shaping participatory urban futures across Europe and beyond!

As part of our activities in the Dialog City project, we are organizing an online networking event to exchange on urban futures and the role of culture in imagining and shaping better urban environments.

🗓 Date: 31 October 2025
⏰ Time: 15:00–17:30 CET / 16:00-18:30 EET
💻 Platform: Online (Zoom link will be sent after registration)
👥 Participants: European municipalities, cultural institutions, civic actors, and urban futures thinkers

📝 Register Now HERE

 

🧭 What to Expect:

  • Key insights from implementing participatory transformation strategies in small/medium European cities
  • Live presentations from European cities
  • Interactive networking sessions
  • Presentation of the Guidebook & Toolkit for artists, citizens and decision makers

 

🎯 Who Should Attend:

  • Municipal and regional authorities
  • Cultural and educational institutions
  • Urban planners, futurists, and community leaders
  • Civil society organizations
  • Artists and young visionaries

 

🕙 Agenda

Moderator: Maria-Louiza Laopodi, CulturePolis

15:00–15:20 | Opening & Welcome 

  • What is the UN World Cities Day and Urban October, CulturePolis
  • Welcome by Mayor of the city of Aschaffenburg, Eric Leiderer
  • Presentation of the DIALOG CITY project, Dr. Vaios Kalogrias, Deputy Archive Deirector and Historian & David Reis, Deputy department operator, Database-expert, Stadt- und Stiftsarchiv Aschaffenburg

 

15:20–15:40 | Keynote: “The Future of Cities is Cultural”

  • Exploring the cultural dimension of urban transformation, Romain Minod, Director, Quatorze

 

15:40–16:00 | DIALOG CITY Methodology

  • Presentation of the Methodology Manual, Maria-Louiza Laopodi, Operations Expert, CulturePolis
  • Discussion on potential adaptability with participants

 

16:00-16:20 | Presenting the Prototype: OUR COMMON FUTURE 

  • Overview of the Futures Literacy workshops and use of the methodology by trained artists, Laura Cassardo, Faculty Manager, Consorzio Interaziendale Canavesano per la Formazione Professionale CIAC
  • Short presentation of the Training Guidebook & Toolkit, Lucilla Stenca, Erasmus Coordinator, Centro Formazione Professionale Cebane Monregalese
  • Results and feedback from participants

 

16:20–16:40 | Voices from the Cities 

  • Reflections from pilot municipalities
    o From the Municipality of Aschaffenburg, Germany by Dr. Vaios Kalogrias, Deputy Archive Director and Historian
    o From the Municipality of Mondovi, Italy by Dr. Diego Sgarlato, Head of the Department of Education, Culture, Sport, Welfare, and Leisure
  • A cross-sector dialogue on participatory future-making in cities

 

16:40-17:00 | Sustainability & Next Steps 

  • Future of the project and opportunities to engage, Stefan Horn, Artistic Director, Dialog City

 

17:00-17:15 | Closing Remarks