Programme
Get ready to be part of the 15th Biennale of European Towns and Towns Planners
Join us in Lisbon, Portugal 3 days of conferences and guided tours to discover the city.
Meet our Keynotes
Jaan Saar
Track 1: Time of the Process (Administrative Agility)
Jaan Saar is an Operational Lead for the LDT CitiVERSE EDIC and the EU-funded BUILD project. A leading expert in digital transformation and construction innovation, he is recognised for his work in developing Estonia's national digital
twin and BIM-based e-construction platform.
At the Biennale will keynote Track 1: Time of the Process (Administrative Agility). His keynote will explore how digital technologies can help make planning systems more agile, efficient and transparent, reducing administrative
delays while improving decision-making across cities and regions.
Kees Christiaanse
Track 2: Time of Execution (Construction & Circularity)
An architect, urban planner and internationally recognised thinker on the future of cities, Kees Christiaanse has shaped the European and global urban agenda through his work on strategic planning, urban regeneration, and the transformation of complex territories.
At the Biennale, he will keynote Track 2: Time of Execution (Construction & Circularity), a theme focused on implementation at the right time. As cities face growing demands for renewal, resilience, and housing, this track explores best practices in construction solutions that can reduce costs and delivery time while enhancing environmental quality.
Henriette Vamberg
Track 3: Time of People (Construction & Circularity)
As Managing Director in Copenhagen, Henriette leads a portfolio focused on city transformation work at Gehl, where she has been a member since the founding in 2000. Her work is deeply rooted in Jan Gehl’s methodology, focusing on evolving urban design strategies through diverse global projects.
At the Biennale, he will keynote Track 3: Time of People (Sovereignty & Rhythms), a theme focused on the way technology reshapes work and frees up human time. This panel will look at best practices in how urban design and public spaces can foster health, wellbeing, and social inclusion for people of all ages in cities.
Wei Yang
Track 4: Time of New Frontiers (AI, Digital and Social Paradigms)
Former President of the Royal Town Planning Institute and founder of the Digital and Task Force for Planning. Wei Yang is an internationally recognised planner and urban designer, she is widely known for advocating the digital transformation of spatial planning while maintaining a strong focus on place-based development and public value.
At the Biennale she will keynote Track 4: Time of New Frontiers (AI, Digital and Social Paradigms). Her keynote will explore how digital technologies, artificial intelligence and systems thinking can help shape a more responsive and future-ready planning profession.
TECHNICAL TOURS
When getting a ticket for the Bienalle, participants can choose between one of the following 3 tours:
A. Doca 13.Lisnave
B. Lisbon’s Urban Planning and Strategy – Vale de Santo António
C. Walking Lisbon – Alvalade
Doca 13.Lisnave
Start: 14:00
Meeting Point: National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC)
Duration: 3hours, By bus and walking
Max number of participants: 30
Lisbon’s Urban Planning and Strategy – Vale de Santo António
Start: 14:30
Meeting Point: CIUL – Lisbon Urban Information Centre
Duration: 2h30, walking and by bus
Max. number of participants: 40
Walking Lisbon – Alvalade
Start: 14:30
Meeting point: Church of São João de Brito, Alvalade, Lisbon
Duration: 2 hours walking tour
Max. number of participants: 25
Doca 13.Lisnave
Start: 14:00
Meeting Point: National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC)
Duration: 3hours, By bus and walking
Max number of participants: 30
Organised by Arco Ribeirinho Sul and led by COBE as part of the 2026 Urbanism Biennial, this visit explores Lisnave's Dock 13 and its surroundings on Almada's waterfront.
An introductory presentation by COBE team will outline the vision for the site's urban, cultural and landscape transformation, followed by a site tour. Discover its monumental gantry and industrial landscape, shaped by decades of maritime activity and collective memory. The visit invites reflection on how urban regeneration can preserve this legacy while creating new public spaces, cultural opportunities and connections with the river.
Lisbon’s Urban Planning and Strategy – Vale de Santo António
Start: 14:30
Meeting Point: CIUL – Lisbon Urban Information Centre
Duration: 2h30, walking and by bus
Max. number of participants: 40
Over recent decades, Lisbon’s urban transformation has been shaped by efforts to address the interconnected challenges of housing, sustainability, mobility and territorial cohesion. This visit offers an opportunity to examine how the city’s urban strategy is translated into planning policies and major regeneration projects currently under way.
The programme begins at the Lisbon Urban Information Centre (CIUL), where participants will attend a presentation on the city’s recent development and the key challenges facing urban growth. Particular attention will be given to Vale de Santo António, one of the largest urban development projects currently being undertaken in Lisbon.
The visit continues with a guided tour of the intervention area, where a new neighbourhood is being developed based on the principles of the “15-minute city”. The project aims to integrate affordable housing, public facilities, local commerce, green spaces, and improved pedestrian and cycling connections, creating a more accessible and sustainable urban environment.
Walking Lisbon – Alvalade
Start: 14:30
Meeting point: Church of São João de Brito, Alvalade, Lisbon
Duration: 2 hours walking tour
Max. number of participants: 25
Alvalade is a landmark of contemporary Portuguese urban planning. Built from the ground up between the 1940s and the 1970s, its development coincided with a period of major urban interventions that reshaped the Portuguese capital. Covering an area of approximately 230 hectares, the district is organised into eight neighbourhood units which, taken together, reflect and combine a range of urban models, creating a remarkably diverse built environment.
A walk through Alvalade offers a valuable opportunity to understand Lisbon’s urban evolution, explore different approaches to city planning, and reflect on the challenges of building a more sustainable and inclusive future.
