Bamberg in focus: International Academy for Creative Urban Development!

Bamberg in focus: International Academy for Creative Urban Development!

In recent days, the charming city of Bamberg has become the center of creative urban development. The “Cities Ahead Academy” took place there on October 20th and 21st, 2025, a top-class specialist conference focused entirely on cultural urban development. Organized by Goethe Institute In close cooperation with the city administration of Bamberg, the event attracted numerous representatives from cultural committees and creative industries.

The focus of the conference was on exploiting the cultural potential of cities and increasing their international visibility. Bamberg, the last stop in this year's series, followed successful events in Augsburg and Logroño (Spain). The completion of the 2025 European Academy Cycle will be celebrated in Bratislava, underlining the international reach of the project.

A look at the agenda

The head of the academy was the renowned urban researcher Charles Landry, who provided the participants with practical insights into international strategies for cultural urban development. Workshops led by city administration representatives and local cultural actors covered creative urban ecosystems and sustainable cultural strategies. A special focus was on integrating these concepts into the city of Bamberg's ongoing cultural development planning.

The importance of cultural visibility was also highlighted by Mayor Andreas Starke, who emphasized how important culture is for innovation and the international appeal of a city. He underlined Bamberg's role in a European network of creative cities, which gives the city the opportunity to learn from the experiences of other cities.

Cultural exchange and future prospects

The Cities Ahead program not only offers a platform for exchange, but also targeted support for European cities that want to exploit their cultural potential. With a network of over 150 Goethe-Instituts in 99 countries, cultural exchange will be the bread and butter of the future of urban development.

The Bamberg cultural report, which analyzes the city's cultural status quo, also met with international acclaim. Experts praised the extensive analysis of the cultural circumstances and made suggestions for future steps, including working groups on art and museums, the independent scene, the cultural city narrative, cultural education and the cultural locations of the future.

The next steps are clear: Bamberg will continue to be part of the Cities Ahead program, and work will continue to develop innovative cultural strategies together with cities from Germany, Spain, Poland and Slovakia until the end of 2025.

The goal is ambitious, but with a creative approach and committed cultural representatives, Bamberg will drive the transformation into a cultural city - and perhaps this drive will also have an impact on other cities. Because one thing is certain: in the world of creative urban development there is always something to learn and improve.