What it is
The CIVITAS Forum is the main conference of CIVITAS, an EU-funded network of cities for sustainable urban mobility. CIVITAS was launched in 2002 and is funded by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE); the Forum has been held since 2003. It lasts three days and typically draws several hundred city representatives, policymakers, practitioners, planners and researchers from across Europe and beyond.
The latest edition took place from 15 to 17 September 2026 in Thessaloniki. The previous one was in Parma from 1 to 3 October 2024, under the theme “Join the mobility renaissance!”.
How the programme works
Each Forum has a theme. In 2026 it was “Roots & Routes: Moving Forward to Competitive, Connected and Resilient Urban Mobility”, split into three umbrella topics. Competitive mobility covered innovation, funding, partnerships and the transport workforce. Connected mobility covered shared mobility, digitalisation, data and links between cities and their regions. Resilient mobility covered inclusive, safe and climate-resilient transport.
Most sessions come from an open call for speakers, published in March for the 2026 edition, and organisers ask for interactive formats rather than lectures. Alongside the conference, the Politicians Exchange Forum brings elected officials together; in 2026 it met on 15 September. CIVITAS also has a Policy Advisory Committee of elected local politicians that meets with DG MOVE.
Who goes and how to take part
Registration runs through an online platform on which participants create an account. We did not find a fee published on the pages we read. If you want to present a project, the call for speakers is the way in; there is also a call for exhibitors.
Why it matters for cities
The Forum is a working meeting for transport planners rather than a trade show, and host cities use it to show their own plans. The 2026 page points to Thessaloniki’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, adopted in 2021, and a city-wide Mobility-as-a-Service scheme combining public transport and shared mobility.
Going, or following from home
The 2026 Forum is over; CIVITAS has published the final programme and photos. The next host city and dates had not been announced when we checked. For the Commission’s other urban mobility meeting, see Urban Mobility Days.