FoCC makes the case against 'one size fits all' city planning at The District

On 23 September, Future of Cities Coalition Chairwoman Josianne Cutajar joined a panel at The District in Madrid, one of Europe's largest real estate events, alongside representatives from Build Europe, GBS, ELFAC and Airbnb. The discussion centred on a central message: housing, mobility, tourism and demographic change can no longer be addressed in silos. Cities are still too often planned around isolated functions, and speakers called for a whole-city, cross-sector approach that looks at the neighbourhood as a whole rather than project by project, alongside better coordination between utility companies, transport authorities and developers to avoid costly delays and rework. ELFAC brought the family lens to the discussion, stressing that cities must serve residents, families, workers, businesses and visitors alike, while Build Europe underlined that increasing housing supply must remain the main priority for authorities at every level, as tackling symptoms such as speculation cannot substitute for building more homes.

Chairwoman Josianne Cutajar stated that cities must replace siloed thinking with a whole-city, cross-sector approach that recognises one size does not fit all, treating people's experience as the central measure of success. The panel gave the Coalition strong visibility among more than 15,000 professionals and 2,500 investors shaping the future of European real estate, reinforcing FoCC's role as a constructive, evidence-based voice in the housing and cities debate.