INTA 47 ANNUAL CONFERENCE URBAN FUTURES LAB 2026 CITIES FOR LIFE

INTA is an independent association that mobilizes the wide range of skills brought by its international membership including government, local authorities, businesses, and independent personalities. Founded in 1974, INTA is dedicated to strengthening urban development worldwide by leveraging the unique experiences of its members.

With members in an international network spanning 60 countries, INTA supports local and national leaders and institutions in improving the living conditions for all inhabitants. INTA provides peer-to-peer counsel, strategic support, and technical advice to leaders and institutions working towards balanced urban development.

This international gathering brings together professionals from planning, architecture, health and governance to explore how cities can act as engines of well-being and care.

Cities are under increasing pressure from climate stress, social fragmentation, and biodiversity loss. At the same time, they remain our most powerful arena for shaping healthier, more connected, and more resilient ways of living.

Cities for Life is a curated urban futures lab exploring how we move beyond sustainability toward regenerative, life-supporting cities. The programme brings together three interconnected perspectives on the future of urbanism: Cooling Cities, focused on climate adaptation and urban comfort; Belonging Cities, focused on trust, inclusion and social connection; and Biophilic Cities, focused on restoring the relationship between people and nature in the urban realm.

Through short keynote talks, dialogue-based panels, and a final synthesis workshop, the lab creates a space where climate, health, design, governance and social life intersect. Rather than presenting ready-made solutions, the aim is to generate new urban narratives and shared principles that can travel across cities globally.