On 3 and 4 September, Warsaw will become a meeting point for an international conversation about the future of rivers in cities. Representatives from Seoul, Chicago, Turin, Toruń and European cities will join experts, Warsaw’s river community and watersports representatives at the Copernicus Science Centre for United by Rivers: Flow, Friction, Future.
Over two days, the conference will look at a question facing river cities around the world: how can urban rivers remain places for people, recreation and culture while protecting the natural environments that make them special?
The programme brings together local authorities, public institutions, researchers, NGOs and specialists working in water management, urban planning, tourism and climate adaptation. It will also put practical experience at the centre of the discussion, looking at how cities are reshaping their relationship with their rivers.
First stop: the Vistula
The first day will focus on the Vistula and on the towns and cities along Poland’s longest river.
For Warsaw, the conference provides an opportunity to share the experience of the Dzielnica Wisła programme, which over the past decade has combined investment, river maintenance, recreation, culture and tourism with the protection of the Vistula's distinctive natural landscape.
That balance is particularly visible along Warsaw's riverfront. The Vistula is both an important part of the city's leisure life and an unusually wild urban river, with natural habitats surviving close to the centre.
The conference will also look beyond Warsaw. Representatives of communities along the Vistula will discuss how greater cooperation could support tourism, recreation and the protection of the river's natural and cultural heritage.
There will also be a look at the history and future of inland navigation, ranging from traditional wooden boats to the potential role of river transport and tourism today.
The first day will end where the subject of the conference naturally belongs: on the Vistula itself. Participants will take part in a river cruise before continuing their conversations on the riverbank.
From Warsaw to Seoul and Chicago
On the second day, the discussion will become international, bringing together experiences from cities that have taken very different approaches to their rivers.
Seoul will offer the example of Cheonggyecheon, a waterway that was once hidden beneath urban infrastructure before being uncovered and returned to public life. Chicago will share its experience of long-term cooperation around the transformation of its rivers.
Representatives from Turin and a number of European cities will also take part, alongside participants from Riga, Düsseldorf, Zaragoza, London and Paris, as well as international foundations and organisations.
The different approaches are likely to make for a particularly useful exchange. River cities do not all face the same circumstances, but many are dealing with familiar questions around climate resilience, biodiversity, public access, tourism and the role of waterways in everyday urban life.
A declaration for river cities
One of the key moments of United by Rivers will be the signing of the United by Rivers Declaration.
The document will underline the importance of cooperation between river cities and joint action towards the sustainable development of riverside areas.
For Warsaw, the declaration also connects with the conference's first-day focus on the Vistula. The ambition is to develop a stronger network between municipalities along the river, treating the Vistula not simply as a geographical boundary but as a shared asset and a natural link between communities.
That could open the door to closer cooperation on everything from visitor experiences and recreation to environmental protection and the promotion of the river as a destination in its own right.
Leaving something behind in Warsaw
The conference will have a physical legacy too.
An artistic project is being prepared in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and its Faculty of Sculpture. Part of the work will remain in Warsaw's public space as a lasting reminder of the meeting between cities connected by rivers.
Other elements will be given to conference participants to take back to their own rivers.
It is a fitting idea for an event built around connections. The Vistula will be at the centre of the Warsaw programme, but the conversation will extend far beyond the Polish capital, linking river communities across Europe and further afield.
United by Rivers takes place on 3 and 4 September at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw. The event is organised as part of the EU Local Dialogues initiative, implemented by the European Committee of the Regions, which supports dialogue between residents and local, regional and European authorities.
See more: Warsaw Leads Poland in the Polish Economy Diamonds 2025 Ranking
Image credit: Daeheung, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0