19th World Conference of Historical Cities

From 12 to 14 November, the League of Historical Cities held its 19th World Conference in Ljubljana. Under the title "Creating a vibrant walkable city centre through sustainable urban mobility", representatives of about 30 cities from Europe, the Middle East and Asia gave an overview of urban planning solutions and approaches designed to make cities more walkable and more attractive to pedestrians.
The village of Masuleh in the mountains of Northern Iran, for example, has implemented a highly pragmatic solution using the flat roofs of local buildings for pedestrian walkways. Vienna presented its climate and innovation agency "Urban Innovation", and the host city of Ljubljana outlined the transformation it has undergone over recent years based on a new urban planning approach. New pedestrian zones in the Slovenian capital have attracted new restaurants, bars and eateries, galleries and specialised shops. The original foundations for Ljubljana's architectural fabric were laid by the architect Joze Plecnik, who also worked in other cities of the former Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
Global League of Historical Cities
The League of Historical Cities has 135 member cities and was founded in 1987 in Kyoto to promote exchange between the members, focusing on all aspects of being a historical city. It organises a biennial World Conference and publishes bulletins on topics of relevance for cities. Past conferences were held in Japan, Italy, Spain, China, Poland, France, Canada, South Korea, Australia, Turkey (Türkiye), Vietnam, Russia, and the Austrian town of Bad Ischl. After this year's conference in Slovenia, the 2026 issue will be held in the historical Japanese city of Himeji, followed by Isfahan (Iran) in 2027.
Chief Executive Office - European and International Affairs
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