June 2023 will be a busy month for Brussels, as it is set to host three large international congresses at once which will be gathered under the umbrella of Brussels Urban Summit 2023.
On Thursday, Brussels was elected as the host of the triennial Metropolis World Congress from 12 to 15 June 2023, an event that is held every three years and is one of the most renowned metropolitan development congresses in the world.
Earlier this year, the city had already announced it would be hosting Eurocities' annual city congress at the same time, during which major city development players across the EU gather to debare what the cities of the future should look like and what makes European cities valuable.
Finally, it also received the approval by the OECD to organise its annual Champion Mayors Summit for Inclusive Growth in Brussels, also in June. As these three events are taking place in the same location around the same time, they will be gathered under the umbrella "The Brussels Urban Summit 2023."
Global example for development
Policy makers, experts and the civil society from more than 350 major cities, from Africa and North America to Asia and Europe, will take part in the large-scale and unique international congress to discuss how to tackle metropolitan challenges of the future through exhange of knowledge and cross-border cooperation.
Brussels State Secretary for Urbanism Pascal Smet, who will be hosting the summit, pointed to Brussels increasingly being seen as a model globally for sustainable urban development as a reason why it is the ideal location for the event.
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"The Brussels Urban Summit will be a perfect opportunity to show the world how we are transforming our city into a city for people,” Smet said.
More than 1,500 international participants are expected to attend the event with three different conferences, during which themes including urban planning, public space and mobility, as well as inclusive growth, affordable housing in cities and migration will be discussed.
"This will also be a very tangible and significant contribution to relaunch our local economy, notably through the support of Brussels’ hospitality and hotel sector,” said Minister-President Rudi Vervoort.
