The international conference, "Welcome, Future 4: Sustainable Cities = Cities of the Future," will take place on Monday, September 30, 2024, at the Velenje House of Culture (Titov trg 4, 3320 Velenje). The official start is scheduled for 9:00 AM. The conference, which will be divided into several thematic panels, will be opened by the Mayor of the Municipality of Velenje, Peter Dermol, and the Deputy Director of the Directorate for Spatial Planning and Construction at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Damijan Uranker.
Velenje, a proud recipient of the European Green Leaf 2024 title, holds the Slovenia Green Destination Gold label and is a member of the Mission of 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030, demonstrates through its development projects that it is on the right path toward a carbon-free society and is co-creating a sustainable future.
We kindly ask visitors to arrive at the venue on foot, by bicycle, or by public transport (Lokalc). Those arriving by car are requested to park in the Mercator parking garage, and walk to the Velenje House of Culture. If you are attending the event in a larger group, we recommend carpooling.
Conference agendaThe conference is intended for urban planners and designers, local community representatives, environmental engineers and scientists, policymakers, nonprofit organizations and sustainability advocates, green transition experts, academics and researchers, business and industry representatives, and everyone involved in the process of a fair, green, and smart transition to a sustainable and carbon-neutral future.
The objectives of the conference are to bring together experts and stakeholders in the fields of climate change and green infrastructure, share examples of best practices, encourage the exchange of ideas and collaboration among different sectors and countries, and develop recommendations for sustainable urban planning and community engagement in local development.
| 01 | 8:30 | REGISTRATION Welcome coffe |
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| 02 | 9:10 | OPENING REMARKS
• Peter Dermol, Mayor, Municipality of Velenje • mag. Lenča Humerca Šolar, Ministry of the Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Spatial Planning Directorate |
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| 03 | 9:25 | OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR CITIES OF THE FUTURE
• dr. Žiga Malek, Environmental scientist and expert Team Europe Direct
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| 04 | 09:50 | BLACK CARBON – Its Impact on Climate Change and Health Matevž Lenarčič, pilot, photographer, biologist, and environmentalist SUSTAINABLE CITIES, Examples of Good Practices • Thomas Randrup, professor in Urban Open Space Management and Head of Subject for Landscape Governance and Management at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences • Stefanos Dodouras, Senior Project Manager, Head of Sustainable & Intelligent Transition Department, Mission Coordinator at the Municipality of Kozani, Greece • Zsofia Hajdu, International project manager, Department of Urban Planning in Pécs, Hungary |
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| 05 | 11:00 | COFFEE BREAK | ||||||
| 06 | 11:30 | SLOVENIAN CITIES ON A MISSION
• Vlatka Berlan Vlahek, Slovenian Mission Coordinator, NetZeroCities Presentations by Slovenian City Coordinators
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| 07 | 12:15 | WHAT IS GREEN AND INNOVATIVE
A frame of understanding to better link nature-based solutions and urban planning • Dr. Barbara Goličnik , Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
The Concept of Comfortable Streets |
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| 08 | 13:00 | LEGISLATION AND FINANCING SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES
• Klemen Košir, Director of the Office for Promoting the Green Transition, MOPE |
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| 09 | 13:50 | COFFEE BREAK
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14:10 |
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
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The Importance of Responsible Natural Resource Management for a Sustainable Future and the Role of Cities • Dr. Janez Potočnik, Former European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries 11 |
15:00 |
CONFERENCE CONCLUSION
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