From 22-25 September 2025, representatives from 21 cities took part in the OWHC Regional Conference for Northwest Europe and North America in Luxembourg. In an intense workshop program, focusing on the topic “Living Heritage: Designing Human-Centered Cities for the Future”, all participants were able to test a systematic and hands-on approach of design thinking techniques. The test laboratory was dealing with specific Luxembourg topics and made everyone gain a deep insight into the city and its UNESCO heritage. Site visits and guided tours, especially through the LUGA gardening exhibition, were extremely appreciated.

Having also representatives from UNESCO in Paris and the Luxembourg Commission for UNESCO, several members of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), representatives from the University of Luxembourg, LUGA, national heritage institutes, Luxembourg City services, UNESCO site managers, and national and international political representatives, the conference supported a general understanding for the importance of networking and learning from other heritage sites. This meeting helped strengthen cooperation between World Heritage cities and opened up new perspectives for reconciling heritage-based urban design in the context of World Heritage and sustainable development. Fostered by high-quality international dialogue, the conference marked an important step towards the need to create spaces conducive to experimentation and urban listening, affirming the role of heritage as a vehicle for the future and contributing to the sustainable improvement of quality of life in a World Heritage context.

Thanks to the wonderful preparation and organization of the Luxembourg team around Shaaf Milani-Nia, the 2025 Regional Conference was a great success and inspiration for further close cooperation within our network of World Heritage Cities. Regional Coordinator Dr. Matthias Ripp and Cultural Commissioner Wolfgang Dersch from the City of Regensburg would like to express their gratitude for the generous hosting of this conference to the City of Luxembourg!