The conference programme is taking shape, with the first speakers to be announced at the end of June.
Meanwhile, get an early look at the programme highlights and the key themes that will be explored through the panel discussions.
The AIVP World Conference Cities & Ports brings together mayors, port authorities, technical experts, industry stakeholders, and international institutions to share experiences and best practices in sustainable urban‑port development. The event will take place in the port city of Dunkirk, in northern France, from 3 to 6 November 2026.
Under the theme “Cities and Ports in Motion: Time for Action!”, this latest edition of the AIVP World Conference Cities & Ports 2026 – Dunkirk will invite stakeholders from port cities to come together to explore solutions and strategies that contribute to improving the quality of life and fostering the sustainable transition of city-port regions.
The Conference will be structured around the idea that the future of port cities depends on their ability to jointly decide on the use of spaces, resources and responsibilities, and to work together towards the goal of improving citizens’ quality of life in a context of growing constraints.
Faced with land scarcity, climate and geopolitical pressures, and social expectations, port and municipal authorities can no longer operate in parallel. Sustainable development requires the involvement of all stakeholders, negotiated strategies and a collective long-term vision.
It is therefore a question of sharing, not understood as a simple redistribution, but as an evolving mode of governance: sharing of territories, sharing of risks, sharing of investments and of decision-making processes. It is thanks to this shared approach that port cities can reconcile economic performance, environmental protection and social well-being.
Join us in Dunkirk to strengthen the links between ports, cities and citizens, and to build a more resilient future for the decades ahead.
Preliminary programme
Tuesday, November 3
18:00 – 19:30
- AIVP General Assembly
19:30 – 21:00
- Welcome Cocktai
Wednesday, November 4
8:30 – 9:00
- Welcome Coffee
9:00 – 9:45
- Opening Ceremony with the participation of:
- AIVP
- Dunkirk Urban Community
- Port of Dunkirk
9:45 – 10:30
- Keynote Address: A European Commission representative’s perspective on the challenges of the energy transition
10:30 – 11:00
- Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:30
- Keynote Address: Port City Economies: Time for a New Perspective!
11:30 – 12:30
- Panel Discussion: How can ports and cities pool their investments to successfully deliver environmental, energy and societal transitions?
12:30 – 13:45
- Networking Lunch
13:45 – 17:30
- Parallel Sessions
18:00 – 20:00
- Announcement of the Winner of the 2026 AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Award, followed by the Award Ceremony and a Cocktail Reception
Thursday, November 5
8:30 – 9:00
- Welcome Coffee
9:00 – 9:30
- Keynote Address: Health at the heart of transitions: building resilient, inclusive and sustainable port cities
9:30 – 10:30
- Panel Discussion: Global pandemics: what common response for ports and cities?
10:30 – 11:00
- Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:30
- Keynote Address: Ports and cities: anticipating and preparing together for the challenges of climate change
11:30 – 12:30
- Panel Discussion: Ports and cities: anticipating and preparing together for the challenges of climate change
12:30 – 13:45
- Networking Lunch
13:45 – 17:00
- Site Visits to the Dunkirk Port–City Area
20:00 – 22:30
- Gala Dinner
Friday, November 6
8:30 – 9:00
- Welcome Coffee
9:00 – 9:30
- Keynote Address: Reimagining the port city at a human scale: proximity, quality of life, and transitions
9:30 – 10:30
- Panel Discussion: Competing land uses and land scarcity: how can we reinvent land use and management in port cities?
10:30 – 11:00
- Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:00
- Port–City Debate: What future for port-city territories in 2050?
12:30 – 13:00
- Closing Ceremony
13:00 – 14:00
- Networking Lunch
14:00 – 17:00
- Cultural Visit: Discovering Dunkirk’s heritage