Brussels, 05 October 2026
On 18 November, Bruges will host the final forum of Re-Value, a four-year Horizon Europe project, funded under the EU Cities Mission. Nine waterfront cities (Ålesund, Bruges, Burgas, Cascais, Constanța, İzmir, Písek, Rijeka and Rimini) have used it to test new ways to turn waterside areas into places for their residents.
The Re-Value Final Forum: Urban Waterfronts in Transition, organised by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability at the Bruges Meeting & Convention Centre (BMCC), will bring together city representatives, planners and artists to showcase how cities are advancing climate-neutral redevelopment through inclusive urban planning and design approaches, with waterfronts serving as the connective space through which they reimagine more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient futures.
One of the Forum’s central sessions will be “A Story Behind Every Door”, where participants will hear stories from Ålesund and Bruges about how tactical urbanism, temporary interventions, and new partnerships led to the transformation of neglected waterside areas into places with longer-term community value.
Bruges will also share its experience of transforming the Kaaidistrict through its City Atelier, masterplans, planning instruments and public-private cooperation, showing how cities can combine different tools to move from plans towards implementation.
The Forum will include ten interactive breakout sessions on practical topics, from urban data and AI to circular textiles, nature-based solutions and temporary urbanism. Sessions such as "Pop-Up City" and "From Pilot to Permanent" will look at how successful local experiments can become lasting urban policy.
Culture and young people will also feature on the programme. Norwegian theatre company Teatret Vårt will perform an extract from Our City, created with young people in Ålesund around one question: do you stay, or do you go?
The three winning teams of the Re-Value Innovation Camp will present their ideas for climate-neutral, liveable cities and ask city representatives and experts how young people can help shape the cities they will inherit.
The Forum will close with "2030 is Now", a session bringing together Re-Value and other European city projects, together with representatives of NetZeroCities and the New European Bauhaus. As cities move from planning to implementation, they will ask what has worked in practice, what cities need to keep going, and how lessons from local experiments can shape future European programmes.
Looking ahead to the closing session, Laura Hetel, Policy Officer in DG Research & Innovation of the European Commission, says: "Re-Value has inspired nine waterfront cities to align urban quality and climate action. Now, let’s ask: how can we build on this experience and help blue cities across Europe plan, invest and deliver for 2030?".
Limited places available. Register via the registration page.
The preliminary programme is attached and available on the Final Forum webpage.
The preliminary programme is attached and available on the Final Forum webpage.
About Re-Value:
Inspired by the New European Bauhaus’ aesthetic approach to sustainability and undertaken to support the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, Re-Value takes a holistic approach to urban development considering not only the physical infrastructure but also the well-being of communities while laying a path towards achieving climate neutrality in 9 waterfront European cities.
About ICLEI Europe
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125 countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. ICLEI Europe provides members in Europe, the Middle East and West Asia with a voice on European and international stages, a platform to connect with peers, and tools to drive positive environmental, economic and social change. ICLEI Europe supports data-driven action to enable cities to move faster on their sustainability agendas.
