CTBUH Deputy Board Chair and our Director, Steve Watts, recently attended the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) 2025 Europe Conference in the Netherlands.
This year’s theme, ‘Different Densities: The Quest for Carbon-Neutral Cities in Europe’, addressed critical challenges facing the Netherlands and cities across the continent.
The main conference took place on Wednesday, 4 June, in Amsterdam, where 180 delegates gathered in a beautifully converted church.
At the event, Steve chaired the CTBUH City Advocacy Forum panel, where European city planners tackled pressing urban issues – including density, climate resilience, social equity, and accessibility.
Speakers included:
- Paco Bunnik, Urban Design Supervisor, City of Amsterdam
- Gwyn Richards, Planning and Development Director, City of London
- Peter Cachola Schmal, Director, DAM Deutsches Architekturmuseum, Frankfurt
- Do Janne Vermeulen, Architect/Director, Team V Architecture
A few weeks on, Steve has reflected on key highlights from the Amsterdam leg of the conference:
- Leaders’ meeting at UNStudio – Steve presented the CTBUH Vision 2030 and rebranding to European CTBUH leaders in a confidential session providing an update on progress ahead of the official launch of the refreshed CTBUH vision and branding at the annual international conference in Toronto this October.
- Dutch National Bank HQ visit – A tour of the revamped headquarters of The Dutch National Bank showcased a thoughtful refurbishment, including a new courtyard, communal spaces (such as the old vaults), and lockers where homeless people can store their belongings. A high-quality, imaginative, and admirable reworking of a large, historic building.
- City Advocacy Forum panel – Steve chaired a discussion on the City Advocacy Forum, featuring Gwyn Richards from the City of London Corporation and his counterparts from Amsterdam and Frankfurt. The panel explored how tall buildings have evolved and transformed their host cities, with sustainability as a recurring theme.
- Strategic alliance– The remainder of the day featured a variety of presentations and discussions, culminating in the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between CTBUH and the Dutch Council on Tall Buildings, Stichting Hoogbouw – a collaboration Steve initiated nearly a decade ago.
The conference provided a valuable opportunity to explore the latest thinking around tall buildings — with valuable lessons learned and innovative initiatives shared. It provided a strong platform to build on our knowledge and expertise in this area — and we’re already looking ahead with excitement to next year’s event.
For further information or to find out more about our experience in tall buildings, please contact:
Steve Watts, steve.watts@ttalinea.com
Photography credit: CTBUH
