programme

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11.30

Opening of registration

Get your badge and get ready for the summit.

12.00 – 14.00

Metropolis Executive Committee

16.00 – 18.00

Metropolis policy debate

The Metropolis Policy Debate is a conversation between political leaders to debate and exchange experiences on pressing urban challenges.

08.00

Registration

Get your badge and get ready for the summit.

08.30 – 10.00

Metropolis Board of Directors

08.30 – 10.00

Networking Breakfast

Enjoy a coffee and breakfast while meeting up with other participants in the pleasant setting of the urban expo in Square.

10.00 - 10.30

Opening plenary

The opening plenary will set the stage for three days of debate and insight on contemporary urban challenges.

10.30 – 12.00

Plenary on urban inequality

Cities are places of opportunity but increasingly only for the few. This session will explore the social, economic, spatial and interpersonal complexities of inequality in cities. Mayors and urban experts will discuss what city leaders are doing to scale up social inclusion and equal opportunity.

12.00 – 14.00

Lunch

PARALLEL SESSIONS

14:00 – 16:00

Meeting of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth Initiative (14.00-18.00)

This high-level meeting brings together mayors committed to tackling inequalities and promoting inclusive economic growth in cities.

Workshops

Afternoon sessions
Organised by different urban networks our afternoon sessions cover a wide variety of topics.

City adventures

Discover the true Brussels during a varied programme of walks and project visits. More coming soon.

Eurocities Mayors Digital Assembly (15.00-18.00)

Launch of the first Mayors’ Digital Assembly, the political advisory body of the living-in.eu movement.

Eurocities Lille call to action on sustainable culture (14.00-15.15)

Signatory event for mayors.

16:00 – 18:00

Workshops

Afternoon sessions
Organised by different urban networks our afternoon sessions cover a wide variety of topics.

City adventures

Discover the true Brussels during a varied programme of walks and project visits.

19.00 – 23.00

Opening cocktail

Exchange views and mingle during this welcome reception in a beautiful Brussels venue.

08.00

Registration

Get your badge and get ready for the summit.

08.30 – 10.00

Networking Breakfast

Enjoy a coffee and breakfast while meeting up with other participants in the pleasant setting of the urban expo in Square.

08.30 – 10.00

Eurocities Breakfast

10.00 - 12.00

Plenary on migration and diversity

Migration is one of the quintessential urban phenomena. Many urban societies and economies have flourished because of migration. But the search for a better life can yield poverty and friction within urban communities.
Our cities are becoming ever more diverse, creating opportunities and dynamizing city life. But are those different urban communities just sharing space, or creating a common future?

This session looks into how migration and growing diversity shape our cities today and what strategies cities and civil society develop to cope with residents arriving ans departing.

12.00 – 14.00

Lunch

PARALLEL SESSIONS

14:00 – 16:00

Metropolis General Assembly

Convened every three years, the General Assembly of members is the sovereign body of Metropolis and hosts a unique forum to jointly build a strategic narrative .

Workshops

Afternoon sessions
Organised by different urban networks our afternoon sessions cover a wide variety of topics.

City adventures

Discover the true Brussels during a varied programme of walks and project visits

16:00 – 18:00

Eurocities General Assembly

The Eurocities General Assembly is the annual opportunity for Eurocities members to vote and express their will regarding the activities and governance of the network.

Workshops

Afternoon sessions
Organised by different urban networks our afternoon sessions cover a wide variety of topics.

City adventures

Discover the true Brussels during a varied programme of walks and project visits.

19.00 – 23.00

Gala Dinner featuring Eurocities Awards @Gare Maritime

Welcome to the spectacular setting of the Gare Maritime, a former freight station that is part of a wider urban revitalisation project. Enjoy the fine Brussels cuisine while discovering the winners of the Eurocities awards.

08.00

Registration

Get your badge and get ready for the summit.

08.30 - 10.00

Networking Breakfast

Enjoy a coffee and breakfast in Square while meeting up with other participants in the pleasant setting of the urban expo.

10.00 - 11.30

Plenary on Climate

This plenary will highlight urban climate leadership in an increasingly challenging global context.

The session will provide expert insights into the state of the climate crisis, demonstrate local leadership in shaping the pathways to climate neutral cities and discuss how to significantly speed up the societal transformation needed to mitigate a climate disaster for future generations.

11.30 - 12.00

Closing Plenary

During high level interventions we will reflect on the main messages and takeaways from the Brussels Urban Summit to construct more equal and sustainable urban futures.

12.00 - 14.00

Lunch

PARALLEL SESSIONS

14:00 – 16:00

Metropolis FMDV Investment Forum

FMDV is a global network of local and regional governments with the mission to develop and promote investment and financing solutions for urban development.

City adventures

Discover Antwerp or Ghent during a varied programme of walks and project visits.

UCLG Executive Bureau (14.00 - 18.00)

19.00 - 23.00

Closing event

In collaboration with the Brussels cultural and academic community, participants of the summit and the wider Brussels audience are invited to reflect on contemporary urban challenges and answers in Brussels.

* Please note this programme is still subject to change and will be updated frequently

EVENTS

The opening reception will take place in the sumptuous setting of the Forum Room of the Museum of Ancient Art. Located at 150m from the historical centre of Brussels and the main hotels, we will welcome you at 7 pm for a cocktail reception. This evening is a networking event and will allow you to establish numerous contacts with the other participants of the Brussels Urban Summit.

You will also have the opportunity to visit the remarkable Old Masters collection, a proof of a rich past spanning the 15th and 18th centuries.

Oldmasters Museum
Rue de la Régence, 3, 1000 Brussels
https://fine-arts-museum.be/en/museums/musee-oldmasters-museum

 
The Eurocities Awards recognise outstanding achievements by Eurocities members in the delivery of local activities or practices, that improve the quality of life for local people.

This year’s Eurocities Awards provides an opportunity to showcase European cities’ unique approach to working on global challenges. In times where multiple crises seem to threaten the future of our society as we know it, it is more important than ever that cities use their know-how and expertise.

With a focus on three of today’s main challenges, the Eurocities Awards 2023 reognises projects that show Eurocities members’ capacity and leadership in
  1. Managing the energy crisis sustainably
  2. Taking the step from global human mobility to local community cohesion
  3. Bringing young people to the centre of co-creating public spaces
Entries are judged by an independent jury of five members, made up of representatives from the conference host city, an expert on urban issues, civil society, the EU institutions and the media.

The awards ceremony will take place on 14 June 2023 at the Gala Dinner on the premises of Gare Maritime in Brussels.

Follow the Eurocities awards shortlist, which will be published at the end of May on the Eurocities website www.eurocities.eu
City adventures
Belgian cities other than Brussels will organise "City adventures" that will showcase successfully completed city projects that have improved quality of life in cities. These projects mainly tie in with themes high on the Brussels Urban Summit agenda: migration and human mobility, climate and energy and urban inequality.
If you are registering for a City adventure, keep in mind that your trip back home should not start too soon after the end of the visit.

Brussels City adventures
Brussels Capital Region will organise "Brussels City adventures" that will showcase successfully completed city projects that have improved quality of life. These projects mainly tie in with themes high on the Brussels Urban Summit agenda: migration and human mobility, climate and energy and urban inequality.
For the first time in six years, the entire Metropolis community will gather together in Brussels to celebrate the 14th Metropolis World Congress to address the major challenges facing the world's big cities and metropolises. Join global mayors, metropolitan leaders, and urban experts to connect over 3 days of inspiring ideas and solutions to help transform your city.
The Eurocities General Assembly is the annual opportunity for Eurocities members to vote and express their will regarding the activities and governance of the network.
OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth Initiative will convene in person for the first time since 2019 for the 6th Meeting of Champion Mayors. This year’s closed-door meeting of Champion Mayors and Knowledge Partners will focus on how mayors are confronting the cost-of-living and housing crisis in cities. During BUS week, the OECD Secretariat will also lead a plenary session on urban inequality and workshops on specific urban policy issues. The Champion Mayors Initiative looks forward to seeing you there!