In this episode, recorded live at the 2026 Urban Future conference in Ljubljana, we head to Celje, Slovenia. We are joined by Monika Tominšek, Head of Development, Projects and Economy Office, and Tanja Tamše, Expert Associate in the Department for Development, Projects and Economy at the Municipality of Celje. Together, they discuss what it takes to build urban change with people, rather than just for them.

The conversation explores the EU-supported MAG-NET project, which addresses the challenge of brain drain by working to retain local talent. Our guests detail how they make public participation a continuous part of urban governance, from testing ideas with citizens to forming strong alliances across public institutions. Listen in to discover how Celje is translating long-term visions into concrete actions to shape better Smart Cities.

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Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Intro
• (00:02:29) - Teaser question: Do you have a fun or little-known fact about Celje?
• (00:03:34) - Guest background
• (00:07:33) - Discovering Celje
• (00:10:17) - The MAG-NET Project
• (00:15:29) - Public Participation Strategies
• (00:23:57) - Long-Term City Vision
• (00:31:48) - Segment: Flip the Script
• (00:35:24) - Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”