A warm welcome!

Thank you for your interest in the 19th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy.

The Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building, in cooperation with the Conference of German Building Ministers, the Association of German Cities (Deutscher Städtetag) and the German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB), cordially invites you to Cologne.

“Act together, act faster, think further: shaping cities for everyone”

This is our motto for the 19th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy, which will take place from 14th to 16th September 2026 at the Palladium Cologne and other locations.

We recommend booking a hotel room promptly (book here).

Programme

(As of 31 january 2026 / subject to change)

The detailed congress programme and information on registration will be provided in due course. We expect to open registration at the end of July.

Monday, 14th September 2026 // Networking evening

• 6:30 p.m. onwards: Admission and registration at Tanzbrunnen/Rheinterrassen
• 7:00 p.m.: Networking event hosted by Cologne/Bonn region at Theatre at the Tanzbrunnen (registration required due to limited availability)

Tuesday, 15th September 2026 // Congress Day 1

• 9:30 a.m. onwards: Admission and accreditation at the Palladium
• From 10:30 a.m.: Plenary session in the main hall
• 1 p.m.: Lunch break and transition to the forums (smartvillage and Palladium)
• 2:30–4:15 p.m.: Forums
• 4:45–6:30 p.m.: Forums
• 7 p.m. onwards: Evening reception at the Palladium

Wednesday, 16th September 2026 // Congress Day 2

• 8:30 a.m. onwards: Admission and accreditation at the Palladium
• 9 a.m. onwards: Future arenas and excursions (Palladium or external location)
• 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Lunch break at the Palladium (return from external venues)
• 1:30–3:00 p.m.: Plenary session in the main hall
• Approx. 3:00 p.m.: Conclusion of the congress

A review of the programme of the last Federal Congress in Rostock can be found in the media library.

Further information on urban development policy can be found here.

Venues

14th September 2026 // Networking evening

Theatre at the Tanzbrunnen
Rheinparkweg 1
50679 Köln

15th September 2026 // Congress Day 1

Palladium (Plenary session, forums and evening reception)
Schanzenstraße 40
51063 Cologne

Smartvillage (Forums)
Schanzenstraße 6-20
Building No. 2.19/Kupferwerk
51063 Cologne

16th September 2026 // Congress Day 2

Palladium (Plenary session, breakout sessions)
Schanzenstraße 40
51063 Cologne

Various locations in the Cologne/Bonn region (external venues and excursions) to be announced

Speaker

Auch in diesem Jahr hatten wir wieder eine Auswahl an renommierten Fachleuten sowie Vertreterinnen und Vertreter aus Politik, Stadtentwicklung und Zivilgesellschaft, die mit ihren interessanten Vorträgen oder Beiträgen in den Panels gemeinsam mit Ihnen maßgeblich zur Qualität des 18. Bundeskongresses Nationale Stadtentwicklungspolitik beigetragen haben.

Falls Sie weitere Informationen zu den einzelnen Personen haben möchten, nutzen Sie den Link im Foto.

Downloads

Programm to go
Programmheft
Handout Arena V

Fachforum 08 „Neu(es) Wohnen in der Innenstadt“
– Monika Fontaine-Kretschmer, Geschäftsführerin Unternehmensgruppe Nassauische Heimstätte | Wohnstadt
– Mathias Metzmacher, Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR)
– Ricarda Pätzold, Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik (Difu)

Arena IV „Neue Stadtquartiere“
– Han Joosten, BPD Immobilienentwicklung GmbH
– Prof. Dr. Iris Reuther, Senatsbaudirektorin Bremen