Meet the leaders transforming our cities

Carlos Moreno CO

Author of Paris’ groundbreaking “15-Minute City” concept

Pioneer of the “15-Minute City” concept, Carlos Moreno is a urbanist, scientist, and also a professor at the University of Paris. Throughout his life, he has received many prestigious awards and his work shapes global discussions on urban planning.

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Angela Garbes US

Author of Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change

Angela Garbes, acclaimed author of Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change, brings her powerful advocacy for working families and reproductive justice to our conference on child-friendly urban planning. Her insightful work has been featured in prestigious publications like The New York Times and The Atlantic, while her viral TED talk on workplace needs for parents demonstrates her gift for making complex social issues accessible.

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Eva Kail AT

Pioneer of Gender Mainstreaming in Vienna

Eva Kail, a pioneer of gender-sensitive urban planning, radically changed the view of urban space. Based on her work at the Vienna Women’s Office, the groundbreaking concept of the “chain of roads” was created, which is today the basis of child-friendly city planning. Its approach has become a model for the UN and cities across Europe.

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Dinah Bornat UK

Architect and author of “All to Play For”

Dinah Bornat, author of the new book “All to Play For: How to Design Child-Friendly Housing” (RIBA Publishers, 2025), brings an innovative perspective on housing construction that puts the needs of children and young people at the center of attention.

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Tim Gill UK

Author of “Urban Playground”

Tim Gill is an independent scholar, writer, and consultant based in London and a global advocate for children’s outdoor play and mobility. Tim is also a UK Design Council Ambassador.

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Sam Balto US

Founder of the Alameda Bike Bus

Sam Balto, a Physical Education teacher, pioneered active student transportation through walking school buses and his internationally recognized Alameda Elementary bike bus initiative of 2022. Through his Bike Bus World movement, Sam now empowers communities worldwide to transform children’s school commutes into healthier, safer, and more joyful experiences.

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Adam Gebrian CZ

Architecture critic and author of Three Months in Barcelona

An acclaimed architecture critic and also the author of the book Three Months in Barcelona, in which he combines an architectural guide with a personal perspective, exploring how the city works through the eyes of a child.

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Jonny Anstead UK

Principal at TOWN, and developer of the award-winning Marmalade Lane Co-Housing

Jonny Anstead, co-founder of the UK’s largest cohousing developer TOWN, proves that quality community housing can be affordable for families on lower incomes. His flagship project, the Marmalade Lane project in Cambridge, is designed as “one big playground for children”.

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Helle Nebelong DK

Pioneer of Copenhagen’s natural play movement

Helle Nebelong is the author of the most popular playground in Copenhagen, Valbyparken, which is considered one of the best in the world. Her philosophy places children’s ideas at the center of the design and surprisingly leaves the key decisions about the arrangement of the space up to their creativity.

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Jakob Steen Christensen DK

Architect, partner and co-founder of JAJA Architects

Jakob Steen Christensen is a partner and co-founder of JAJA Architects. Together with his team, he focuses on transformation, biomaterials, and mobility as key themes, believing these are the areas where planners and architects can have the greatest impact.

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Patrin Watanatada UK

Expert on child-friendly city making

Patrin Watanatada, founder of thinkfeelchange consultancy, brings exceptional expertise in urban transformation from her groundbreaking work developing the Urban95 program, which reimagines cities from the height of a three-year-old child.

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Michael Feigelson NL

CEO of the Van Leer Group

Michael Feigelson has worked for Van Leer since 2007. Prior to his current role as CEO, he served as the Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation from 2014–2019.

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Atsani Ariobowo UK

Director of Child and Youth Health for the FIA Foundation and the lead for the Child Health Initiative

Atsani is a philanthropist, acting as the Director of Child and Youth Health for the FIA Foundation based in London and the lead for the Child Health Initiative.

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Marco te Brömmelstroet NL

Chair of Urban Mobility Futures at the University of Amsterdam

Marco te Brömmelstroet holds the Chair of Urban Mobility Futures at the University of Amsterdam. As a social scientist, he explores how our mobility systems reflect our underlying narratives about the purpose of mobility, streets, and society.

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Dr. Robert Hughes UK

Clinical Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and co-founder of the Tandem app

Dr. Rob Hughes is CEO and co-founder of Early Ideas Limited (Tandem) and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, with a PhD in Child Health and Development. His extensive career spans international development—leading health programs in Pakistan, Yemen, and Zambia—academia, and pioneering the Early Childhood Development strategy at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. 

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Juraj Benetin SK

Managing Director of Compass Architects

Juraj Benetin is a prominent Slovak architect and urban planner, managing director of Compass, one of Slovakia’s largest architectural studios. His work focuses on creating high-quality urban spaces and residential districts across various parts of Bratislava, from historic Vydrica through Urban Residence and Nová Vajnorská to extensive projects like Slnečnice and Nový Ružinov. 

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Martin Hrouda CZ

Skate park designer and co-founder of U/U Studio

Martin Hrouda, architect and passionate skateboarder, co-founded U/U Studio where he develops innovative solutions for transforming public spaces through community-driven design. His practice focuses on making cities more inclusive and dynamic for people of all ages by merging urban planning with active recreation. 

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Catherine Gall FR

Leading 15-Minute City researcher and Executive Director of Chaire ETI at the Sorbonne

Catherine Gall serves as Executive Director of Chaire ETI at the Sorbonne, the research lab known for developing the groundbreaking “15-minute City / 30-minute Territory Model” alongside Professor Carlos Moreno. With over 25 years of experience in strategy and innovation at Steelcase Inc., she has led workplace transformation projects across five continents.

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Benjamin de la Peña US

CEO of the Shared-Use Mobility Center

Benjie drives global transportation innovation as CEO of the Shared-Use Mobility Center and Chair of the Global Network for Popular Transportation, while also convening the Shared Mobility 2030 Action Agenda. He serves on several influential bodies and is a Senior Fellow for Mobility at the Canadian Urban Institute. 

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Carlota Rebelo UK

Senior foreign correspondent at Monocle

Carlota Rebelo, senior foreign correspondent at Monocle and executive producer of Monocle Radio, is the driving force behind “The Urbanist” – one of the longest-running podcasts on city building and urban development. She regularly reports from influential global forums like the World Economic Forum and UN COP meetings, engaging with mayors, planners, and citizens who are pioneering urban change. 

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Sandra Štasselová SK

Urbanist, Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava

Sandra is an urbanist and lead of the project City for Children at Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava.

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Matúš Vallo SK

Architect, Musician and Mayor of Bratislava

Matúš Vallo has been the mayor of Bratislava since 2018. With his team, he is making Bratislava a stronger, greener, more transparent place with high-quality public spaces, accessible public transport and help for disadvantaged groups.

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Lenka Antalová Plavuchová SK

Deputy Mayor of Bratislava

As Deputy Mayor of Bratislava, Lenka Antalová Plavuchová implements innovative strategies for expanding affordable rental housing, significantly improving financial accessibility for young families. Her successful approach combines practical experience from the non-profit sector with 14 years in municipal politics.

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Petra Marko SK

Architect, Chief Executive of Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava

Petra Marko is an acclaimed architect and placemaking expert dedicated to creating people-centric cities and public spaces. She serves as CEO of the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava (MIB).

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Juraj Hurný SK

Head of the Participation, Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava

Juraj heads the Participation and Urban Studies Section at the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava, where he applies sociological research methods to enhance citizen engagement in urban development. As co-author of the Participation Manual and contributor to the strategic “Bratislava 2030” vision, he has established frameworks that ensure community voices shape the city’s future. 

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More to come

Let's meet in
the Old Market Hall in Bratislava!

Join the discussion on child-friendly urban planning right from the heart of Slovakia’s capital.

Námestie Nežnej revolúcie, 811 01 Bratislava
Námestie Nežnej revolúcie, 811 01 Bratislava

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