The Driving Urban Transitions Conference 2026 is a one-day hybrid policy and knowledge-exchange event focused on how cities can operationalise European and global sustainability goals into concrete local action.12 It takes place on 10 June 2026 in Brussels, Belgium, with both onsite and online participation.123
Organised by the European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions (DUT), the conference is designed for a broad urban stakeholder community, including researchers, city and regional authorities, national and EU policymakers, private sector representatives, civil society organisations, and European institutions and initiatives.123 Attendance is free, and around 250 onsite participants are expected, with additional online attendees via livestreamed sessions.12
The event’s core purpose is to showcase DUT’s flagship activities and its strategic direction towards 2033, while presenting concrete results, lessons learned, and scalable solutions from DUT-funded projects in urban mobility, energy and circularity.12 It explicitly situates itself within the “Decade of Action” and aims to translate frameworks such as the Urban Agenda for the EU, UN Agenda 2030, the European Green Deal and the Competitiveness Compass into tangible outcomes in cities.12
Key programme elements include high-level panels on the “soft power of cities” and the link between local experiences and European urban policies; break-out sessions featuring first-generation DUT projects in 15-minute City, Circular Urban Economies and Positive Energy Districts; sessions on instruments like the DUT City Panel and Urban Doers Community; an “Open Area” for partners; and the first reveal of DUT Call 2026 topics.1 The conference promotes a transdisciplinary, bottom-up research model and seeks a global dialogue by inviting participants and projects from beyond Europe.12