Next week, the 25th International Walk21 Conference will take place in Tirana, Albania. This milestone edition, hosted by the Municipality of Tirana in partnership with GIZ Albania, will bring together experts from across the Balkans, Europe, and around the globe. The theme this year is how walking can transform communities and public spaces into healthier, more sustainable, and more enjoyable places for everyone.
Our team will be there to listen, learn, and contribute to the global conversation. Dagmar Köhler, Mobycon Strategic Advisor, will play an active role across multiple sessions, sharing insights from our work in Europe while also chairing discussions with colleagues from around the world.
We look forward to connecting with many of you in Tirana!
Monday, 6 October 2025, 10:00–11:00, Orange Cube
Learning Lab | Track 5. Capacity and Creativity
An interactive, entertaining, and thought-provoking session featuring “real space experts” Ytilibom and Ecaps, two friendly extraterrestrials observing how we humans use (and misuse) street space. With theatre, animation, and real-world examples from Paris, Bremen, Vancouver, Ghent, and Brussels, they challenge us to rethink how public space can be reclaimed for walking.
Dagmar will join this creative session that blends humor with urgent questions about equity, fairness, and livability.
Wednesday, 8 October 2025, 11:00–12:30, Green Cube
Topical Discussion | Track 3. Codifying Design
Dagmar will present on Green Rings, a concept that Mobycon has developed in collaboration with the city of Rheine, Germany, and has also been implemented in cities such as Münster, Leiden, and Groningen. These projects connect parks and natural spaces into continuous walking and cycling routes, cooling cities, supporting biodiversity, and providing citizens with better access to nature.
Her talk will show how Green Rings connect mobility, climate adaptation, and health, and how co-creation with communities makes them both resilient and loved.
Wednesday, 8 October 2025, 14:00–15:30, Mustard Cube
Topical Discussion | Track 2. Curiosity and Culture
Chair: Dagmar Köhler (Mobycon, Germany)
This session explores how we evaluate walking and its impacts from digital tools that plan multi-user routes, to case studies where temporary interventions become long-term transformations. Speakers from Italy, Türkiye, and Albania will share innovative approaches, including the role of soundscapes in shaping pedestrian experience.
Walking is the most accessible, equitable, and climate-friendly mode of transport, yet it is still often overlooked in planning. For 25 years, Walk21 has been the global stage for exchanging ideas, policies, and practices that make walking safer, easier, and more joyful.
At Walk21 Tirana, we will explore how transformative packages of policies and investments can:
We are excited to be part of this conversation and look forward to seeing you in Tirana!
