Emilia Saiz

Housing affordability has become one of the defining political and economic challenges of our time, affecting cities across Europe and beyond. Addressing it requires moving beyond emergency responses towards more structural, coordinated, and rights-based housing policies. At the same time, moving from emergency responses to more structural action requires stronger public leadership, coordination, and a clearer understanding of housing as a social, urban, and political priority. Bringing together international, local, policy and civil society perspectives, the session will reflect on how cities can respond to housing pressure with more ambitious, long-term, and systemic strategies, examining how different governments are advancing policy innovation, institutional reform, and regulatory action.

Digital innovation is redefining how cities and organizations address growing urban challenges, creating new models for planning, service delivery, and day-to-day operations. Technologies such as AI, digital twins, and intelligent data platforms are enabling more predictive, efficient, and data-driven ways of managing urban environments. This session will examine how these capabilities are transforming operational efficiency, reduce emissions, and strengthen urban resilience. Successfully embedding these technologies into existing systems will be critical to building more agile, responsive, and future-ready cities.