Developing Cities Beyond Capitals – International Conference on Polycentric Development in the Visegrad Countries
Date: 17 March 2026, 10:00-14:00
Location: Corvinus University of Budapest, Building E, E.III.
Language of the event: English
The aim of the conference is to summarize the results of the project, share experiences, and discuss future directions for polycentric urban development in Central Europe. The event is organized by the four partner universities together with the Hungarian Society for Urban and Spatial Planning.
The international project, supported by the International Visegrad Fund and led by the university, was launched at the end of 2024. It examines the shift toward more polycentric development in Central European countries with the participation of the University of Wrocław, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, and the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The project focuses on the largest cities in the Visegrád countries – Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia – that follow the capitals in size (e.g. Brno, Łódź, Wrocław, Košice, Debrecen), and explores the development challenges they face and their capacity to contribute to a more polycentric, sustainable, and economically and socially balanced regional structure in Central Europe through their role in regional development.
The mission of the project is to support effective public policies as well as regional and urban planning by generating new evidence, initiating professional dialogue, and laying the groundwork for networking within the region. The project is led by Géza Salamin, Associate Professor at the Institute for Sustainable Development, Programme Director at the Doctoral School of International Relations and Political Science, and Vice President of the Hungarian Society for Urban and Spatial Planning.
Within the framework of the project, workshops, consultations with relevant stakeholders, and empirical research were conducted in the key secondary centres of the participating countries. Following the project’s completion, it will continue to provide an important platform for professional cooperation and knowledge sharing.
The programme of the seminar on 17 March is available here.
Members of the university community are warmly invited to participate. Participation in the event is free of charge but subject to registration. Registration is open until 13 March following this link.
More information about the SECPOLYC project is available here.