Marmara Urban Forum 2025

MARUF offers a wide range of interactive activities such as Urban Cinema, Urban Library, Urban Routes, Urban Atelier, Good Practice Showcase, networking sessions, exhibitions, serious games as well as side events organized by stakeholders, creating space to evaluate urban issues from diverse perspectives.

MARUF serves as a gathering place for everyone who reflects on and contributes to the development of fair, inclusive, resilient and livable cities. MARUF is realized in collaboration with over 120 partners, including public institutions, international organizations, local governments, NGOs, private sector, universities, and think tanks such as UN-Habitat, the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate for EU Affairs, UNDP, ICLEI, CDP, WWF, WRI, UNDP, UITP, JICA, GIZ, ALDA, and NALAS.

What Does MARUF Offer?

• addressing a wide range of urban issues—from disaster management to climate crisis, infrastructure, mobility, social policies, governance, sustainable development, care, housing, artificial intelligence
• offering opportunities for collaboration and dialogue among urban stakeholders from local governments to public institutions, from private sector to academia, from civil society to international organizations
• bringing together policymakers, experts, practitioners and urban thinkers from all over the world around passionate debates on how to make cities more livable, sustainable, resilient, fair, inclusive and caring
• inspiring participants with practical and innovative practices that can be implemented in cities, striving to be the starting point for lasting and tangible changes
• providing participants with a forum experience that fosters strong and long-term collaborations by offering opportunities to meet new people, partners, and networks

Since the inaugural forum in 2019, MARUF has brought together thousands of participants from different geographies to address the challenges and solutions of cities collectively. Held biennially as part of Urban October, it has steadily grown into a global platform for knowledge and experience sharing. You can find previous MARUF reports here: MARUF19 Report & MARUF21 Report & MARUF23 Report

Highlights from Previous Years:

• In 2019, MARUF19 brought together 250 speakers and 5,440 participants from 25 countries in Istanbul. Over three days, the inaugural forum featured sessions, panels, workshops, showcases, movie screenings, exhibitions, and field trips that addressed urban issues comprehensively.
• In 2021, MARUF21 was held online as the world’s largest virtual urban forum held to date. In partnership with UN-Habitat and 100+ partners, the forum was realized under the theme “Re-think & Co-act” following the enormous impact of pandemic in cities. MARUF21 hosted more than 500 speakers from over 50 countries and thousands of participants at more than 100 sessions.
• In 2023, with respect to the multiple crises the cities face all around the world, MARUF23 explored the theme of “Resilience and Beyond” together with 120+ partners. The forum welcomed over 380 speakers and more than 5,000 participants from more than 62 countries. Events marking the World Metropolitan Day were also hosted within the scope of MARUF23 in collaboration with Metropolis and UN-Habitat.