Updates, first confirmed speakers and key dates for WGIC26
January 2026 Newsletter
The 12th World Congress on Green Infrastructure will be held in Barcelona and Lleida (Catalonia, Spain) from 27-30 October 2026.
Call for papers and projects registration is open
Promoted by the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) and organized by the University of Lleida (UdL), this occasion will celebrate the World Capital of Architecture and the Year of Antoni Gaudí, in Barcelona 2026. The program will be structured into two days of parallel sessions and posters in Barcelona.
Among the classic topics (policies, technologies, impacts, education, etc.), three featured topics will be addressed.
Green Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions
- For human health and well being
- In post conflict / disaster recovery
- And the Global South
The congress includes a fair area where leading companies will show their products and latest innovations. The third day of the congress will be dedicated to fantastic technical visits to projects throughout Barcelona, in an innovative open doors format. An optional fourth day will include workshops on research and innovation in Lleida. Since WGIC26 is the only annual forum where researchers, professionals and industry converge, both types of papers, whether research, projects or case studies, can be submitted.
Save the Key Dates
- First draft paper:31 March 2026
- Early-bird registration:15 April 2026
- Partners & Exhibitors:30 April 2026
- Sponsors deadline:30 Sept 2026
- Congress Dates:27-30 Oct 2026
2026: A Year Commemorating Antoni Gaudí
The Council for the Promotion and Dissemination of Gaudí's Work has driven the celebration of the Gaudí Year 2026 , to bring Antoni Gaudí's work closer to the general public. Gaudí is one of Catalonia's most universal architects.
The initiative will be coordinated by a commission led by Núria Poch and Galdric Santana, and will involve the participation of the main Gaudí buildings, including the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Família, as well as public and private institutions and experts dedicated to the conservation, study, and dissemination of his legacy.
The first WGIC speakers are already confirmed!
We are pleased to announce that the first speakers for WGIC 2026 are now confirmed—leading voices shaping the future of cities, territory, architecture, and public policy:
Marcos Ros
Architect, academic, and Member of the European Parliament, working on urban policy, sustainability, and the built environment at the EU level.
Vicente Guallart
Architect and urbanist, Co‑founder of Urbanitree and Founder of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia.
Alberto Estévez
Founder and Director of ESARQ‑UIC Barcelona, known for experimental and biodigital architecture.
Salvador Rueda
Founder and Director of the Urban and Territorial Ecology Foundation (FEUT), pioneer of urban ecology and creator of the “superblock” model.
This first group of speakers underscores the ambition, depth, and multidisciplinary vision of WGIC 2026.