The 5th International Conference Welcome Future 2025 took place in Velenje under the title »Shaping cities together: co-creating the quality of life«. The event brought together experts from Slovenia and abroad.
The conference opened with a short introductory film about the Šaleška Valley, followed by speeches, lectures and four panels focusing on fair transition, housing policy, sustainable energy, green infrastructure, and the involvement of citizens in urban development.
The Mayor of Municipality of Velenje, Peter Dermol, underlined the importance of a fair transition. He noted that the region was once shaped for certain target groups, but now it must adapt to new needs. Biljana Škarja, director of Development Agency of Savinjsko-šaleška region (SAŠA), highlighted the main theme of the conference: how to ensure a good quality of life after the coal phase-out and how to revitalise degraded areas. Klemen Ploštajner from the Ministry for a Solidary – Based Future also took part, while the first keynote lecture was given by Janez Nared, GIAM ZRC SAZU, who presented the concept of territorial quality of life in Slovenia, with a special focus on the SAŠA region.
Panels
1. Innovative Housing Policy for Better Urban Living The first panel featured Klemen Ploštajner, the Ministry for a Solidary – Based Future Črtomir Remec, The President of the management Board, Housing Found of Slovenia Srna Mandič, Scientific Councillor and Primož Brvar, CEO, Nepremičnine Celje, d.o.o. They pointed out the weak state of housing provision in Slovenia. The speakers stressed the need for an active public housing policy, municipal housing funds in every municipality, and new financial mechanisms. SID Bank is preparing favourable loans based on the Vienna model, and recent legislative changes aim to improve access to housing.
2. Shaping the Future with Sustainable Energy The second panel presented good practice from Denmark and Hungary. Nils Thor Rosted, Head of Communications at the Amager Resource Centre in Denmark, introduced a project combining high energy efficiency with innovative architecture – a waste-to-energy plant with a ski slope on the roof, owned by five municipalities. He underlined that with advanced technology, only steam is released through the chimney, while the plant produces both electricity and hot water. From Hungary, Balazs Hegyi spoke about decarbonisation measures in district heating in the city of Eger.
3. Green Public Infrastructure – Enhancing Everyday Urban Life (Case presentations) The third panel featured Christy Boylan, Vice-President of Entente Florale Europe and Chair of its international jury, who presented the Entente Florale Europe model, one of the oldest environmental awards in Europe. Béla Kézy, an urban development expert from the Hungarian city of Nyíregyháza, spoke about the “Green Transition – Goal or Path?” concept. Catherine Muller, Secretary-General of the Conseil National des Villes et Villages Fleuris in France, introduced the Villes et Villages Fleuris label, which promotes sustainable lifestyles.
4. Active Stakeholder Engagement – Nothing About Cities Without Their People The fourth panel was held under the motto “Nothing about cities without the people who live in them.” Monika Stumof Fekete, Chief Executive Office, Executive Group for Construction and Technology, Municipality of Vienna, Austria, presented the importance of involving citizens in urban development, pointing to Vienna as an example, known as the “Capital of Democracy”. Nela Halilović from IPoP spoke about the challenges of working with the public, the importance of open dialogue when planning urban changes, and presented different models of citizen participation.
Conclusion
The conference concluded with a round table discussion entitled Human-Centred Cities, summing up the topics covered. Participants agreed that the future of the region depends above all on the active involvement of its citizens in shaping the urban environment.
You can read the news in Slovenian here.
