And they lived happily ever after. Poznań Design Festival 2026

Ola Kloc

08 of October '26

A sensory installation by Oliwia Dobrzyńska

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A Sweet, Long Life

An important element of this year’s festival will be a conference on the future of longevity— Poznań Design Talks: Futures of Longevity.

The organizers have selected two high-profile concepts focusing on longevity and accessibility; however—as they emphasize—these are intended as a starting point for discussion, not a ready-made solution.

One of these will be the “15-minute city” model initiated by Carlos Moreno. According to this idea, every city resident should have access to essential services—such as housing, work, shops, clinics, schools, and recreational facilities—within a distance that can be covered on foot or by bike in a quarter of an hour. This idea has been adapted in Poland; one example is Pleszew in Greater Poland , which promotes itself as a compact city. But is it possible to implement similar solutions on a larger scale?

Catherine Gall, executive director of the ETI research laboratory at the Sorbonne—where this model originated—will discuss the concept of the “15-minute city” in Poznań.

The second main theme will be the Blue Zones—regions of the world where a high percentage of residents live to be 100 years old. This is often attributed to a healthy diet, physical activity, and strong social ties. So where do people live the longest? The Blue Zones include Sardinia in Italy, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, the Greek island of Ikaria, and the Japanese island of Okinawa.

There is a scientific debate surrounding this concept. The quality of the demographic data underlying it is questioned; some of the original zones are now described as historical; and the concept itself has since become heavily commercialized. “We believe this is an argument for discussion, not against it. We’re interested in what remains of these observations once you strip away the marketing—and whether this can be translated into design decisions in a Polish city,”

— explains Andżelika Jabłońska.

Does Poland have its own blue zones? It turns out that, according to research by the National Institute of Public Health (PZH), men living in the southern and central-western parts of the country live longer, while women live longer in counties in southeastern and eastern Poland.

Christal Burnette, a researcher at the Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Science who studies ikigai—the joy of a meaningful life—and yakuzen—traditional Japanese practices—will discuss the Japanese perspective in Poznań during her lecture “Secrets of Longevity in Okinawa” Christal Burnette, a researcher at the Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Science, who specializes in ikigai—that is, finding joy in a meaningful life—and yakuzen—the traditional Japanese approach to nutrition as a form of health care.

The conference will consist of six lectures and a panel discussion. In addition to the aforementioned speakers from France and Japan, Diana Rivera, a gastroenterologist from Peru, will also speak. In her lecture “Aging in Peru—Beyond Medicine,” will remind us of what is most often forgotten in discussions about longevity: that where public long-term care is limited, the burden falls on families; and David Sim, an architect and author of the translated book *Soft City*, who demonstrates through his work how the form of urban development determines the amount of movement and interaction with neighbors that fits into a resident’s typical day. The conference will conclude with a panel discussion titled “The City of Longevity—Space, Technology, Community,” which has the potential to help develop practical recommendations for urban planning and design.

At the same time, in collaboration with Adam Mickiewicz University and the Center for Senior Initiatives, a List of Design Recommendations for Longevity Cities will be developed during workshops involving designers, students, seniors, and city residents.

Designing a city for the long term begins with a shift in perspective. It is not about creating a city “for seniors,” but about designing a space where people can remain young and, at the same time, age comfortably. A space where they can function well throughout their entire lives, regardless of age, ability, physical condition, or life situation

— says Dr. Agata Gawlak, dean of the Faculty of Architecture at Poznań University of Technology.

7 days, 7 exhibitions

The festival also features exhibitions, of course—during the seven days of the festival, you’ll be able to visit as many as seven of them!

At the “Longevity” exhibition, visitors will see fourteen competition-selected projects that address the question of what a long life is: objects that facilitate daily independence and those that last longer because they can be repaired.

“Soft Tissue” project by Dawid Herda and Alicja Kozłowska

Among the works is an artificial heart that raises the question of how far technology can take us in the pursuit of immortality. Next to it will be a clothing collection inspired by kintsugi. This is the Japanese art of repairing ceramics, in which cracks are not hidden but rather highlighted with gold. It’s about the body as it ages, and about not being ashamed of it. There will also be a crochet kit designed to help rehabilitate hands after injuries or for those with limited mobility. And ceramic dishes that are easy to grip. At the same time, they look beautiful—not like hospital equipment.

Dominika Nawrocka, Daily

What makes seniors more willing to leave the house? It turns out it’s not about fancy technology or spectacular amenities. All it takes is a simple bench—one you can sit on and get up from on your own, one that lets you lean on it during a walk or set your groceries down to catch your breath for a moment on the way back from the store. At the exhibition “The City Measured by Rest,” researchers from the Poznań University of Technology will present an app that helps city policymakers identify where benches are lacking in the city and how much it would cost to install them, as well as a smartwatch app that allows older adults to assess the green spaces around their homes and along the streets.

Meanwhile, “Course on Longevity,” an exhibition prepared by the Poznań University of Life Sciences, will feature an age simulator and spaces designed to be inclusive for everyone, from preschoolers to seniors, while “Design with Care,” curated by the Szczecin Academy of Art, — features objects that soothe, support, and help restore balance.

Julia Wacławik, Loopy project

In creating the exhibition *A Unique Home*, first-year students and faculty members of the University of Arts in Poznań posed a question about life together: since we already have “a long life,” how do we ensure “a happy one”? At the exhibition *Between Yet and Already*, visitors will be able to see interior designs, everyday objects, and sculptures from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, and in the Forest Experience Zone, you can learn more about the Japanese practice of forest bathing and its impact on health.

Let’s meet in Poznań

This year’s edition of the festival will begin on October 23 at several venues in Poznań—at Stary Browar, the Poznań University of Technology, the Poznań University of Life Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, and at the Łazęga Poznańska Association. The full program is available at www.poznandesignfestiwal.pl

The Poznań Design Festival 2026 will serve as a space for the exchange of knowledge and experiences, where global ideas will meet the local context and the everyday life of the city. “This is an invitation to jointly design a future in which cities are prepared for demographic changes and all generations can actively participate in social life,”

— say the organizers.

The Poznań Design Talks: Futures of Longevity conference was co-funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage as part of the Institute of Creative Industries’ own program , “Development of Creative Sectors.”