A celebratory – and not entirely serious – reflection for the 61st ISOCARP World Planning Congress

Every year (or in ISOCARP’s case, for the 61st time), planners from around the world gather in a single location to engage in that ancient ritual known as the congress. Nobody really remembers who invented the congress, but experts generally agree it must have been someone who enjoyed name badges, windowless rooms, and the unique thrill of lukewarm coffee served at 10:57 a.m.

Yet here we are again – this time in Riyadh —bright-eyed, jet-lagged, armed with tote bags—and we keep coming back. Why? Let’s dig in – with a smile!

Congresses: Humanity’s Most Elaborate Excuse for Meeting People We Already Email Daily

A congress is essentially a mass gathering of people who already have each other’s contact details. But instead of using email like normal humans, planners insist on meeting in person to present slides with a font size so small it should come with its own microscope.

At the ISOCARP Congress, this experience is elevated to an art form. We nod meaningfully. We take photos of PowerPoints we’ll never look at again. We engage in conversations that start with: “We should really collaborate on that project!” …and end with the quiet knowledge that neither of us will remember this by next Tuesday.

And yet, it brings us joy.

The True Purpose of a Congress

Spoiler: It’s not what the brochure says.

Officially, a congress exists to “exchange knowledge,” “share best practices,” and “advance professional dialogue.”

Unofficially, it exists to:

Collect more lanyards than any reasonable human needs: Some attendees now store them alphabetically or in load-bearing boxes.

Master the ancient art of locating the only filled coffee pot: A quest passed down from generation to generation of planners.

Engage in panel discussions where 8 people are scheduled to speak in 60 minutes: Mathematically impossible, but we do it anyway—because planners love a challenge.

Pretend we totally read the 68-page paper that someone is referencing: We didn’t. We won’t. Let’s accept this truth.

In all our personal and professional shortcomings, we should not forget, that many people behind and in front of the scenes have worked hard and successfully, to make the World Planning Congress happen. A big thank you to our hosts, the Riyadh Regional Municipality and the local organizing and congress teams!

The Failures We Secretly Love

The tech doesn’t work: The microphone will squeak. The clicker will refuse to click. Someone will share their desktop and reveal 27 open PDFs with names like – Final2_latest_realfinal.pptx. – And we adore it.

The schedule is a myth: Sessions drift. Keynotes expand. Lunch shrinks. Time becomes a flexible concept — a kind of temporal jazz.

The networking is chaotic: You try to find the person you met earlier. You forget their name, their institution, and what they looked like. Meanwhile, they are standing directly behind you.

The “gala dinner.”: A heroic attempt to feed 500 people simultaneously. There will be speeches. There will be dancing. There will be dessert that may or may not be flammable.

These failures are not flaws. They are traditions. And we treasure them.

Why We Should Keep Doing Congresses Forever

Despite the flaws, the chaos, and the PowerPoint slides that were clearly exported at 72 dpi, something magical happens at a congress:

People connect: You meet someone who changes how you think. Or someone who becomes a collaborator. Or at least someone who gives you their card, which you find six months later in a coat pocket and still have no idea who they are.

Ideas come alive: Urban planning is a social act. It thrives on debate, on sharing, on the collective realization that every city struggles with the same things (traffic, housing, and a suspicious number of cats on leashes).

We recharge our sense of purpose: In a world overflowing with crises, planners gather to remind each other that cities can be better, fairer, cooler, greener—and that we’re not alone in trying.

And most importantly: It’s fun: A congress is a celebration of our profession’s quirks, creativity, and occasional inability to end a session on time.

So here’s to the 61st ISOCARP World Planning Congress

To the thinkers, doers, dreamers, late-night presenters, early-morning panellists, and the brave souls who try to moderate a session with 14 speakers.

May your coffee be strong, your slide decks functional, and your tote bag filled with only the finest swag.

Let’s keep doing more congresses— not because they’re perfect, but because they’re beautifully, hilariously human.

Enjoy the 61st World Planning Congress!