Held in Nis, Serbia in December 2024, KreNI conference marked a milestone event in southeastern Europe, aligning closely with the broader European agenda for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities. This tenth edition of Serbia’s leading creativity festival was built around the theme of proximity—a concept central to the PSE (Proximity, Sustainability, Equity) program, which promotes locally rooted, accessible urban development models.

PSE’s vision centers on building economically stable and socially inclusive communities where essential services—cultural, educational, health, and administrative—are reachable within a 15-minute walk or cycle. It supports cities in reducing car dependency, increasing digital accessibility, and making urban areas more livable. KreNI became a real-time testing ground for these principles, enabling youth, experts, and decision-makers to co-create solutions that reflect the needs and possibilities of the local context.

Young Ambassadors, the organization behind KreNI, plays a pivotal role in bridging grassroots action with EU-wide strategies. As an active contributor to the proximity idea, the organization works to ensure that the insights and innovations emerging from Niš are fed into European debates and urban development policies. 

The highlight of KreNI was a series of Masterclasses from leading urban thinkers, each offering powerful insights into proximity-based transformation. Lara Seixo Rodrigues showcased the WOOL project in Portugal as an example of reclaiming neglected spaces through public art, inspiring projects like Take It Back, which envisions cultural regeneration in Niš’s Stara Železnička Kolonija. Damian Plant used Vienna as a benchmark for sustainable living, influencing projects such as E-ride, a unified transport app, and Green Print, which rewards eco-behavior through local incentives.

Other experts tackled proximity from varied angles. Ilhami Alkan Olsson highlighted the importance of maintaining diversity in compact neighborhoods, while Giovanni Lanza urged inclusive urban design that respects community-specific needs. Matthieu Voisin challenged participants to rethink mobility, pushing for walkable, bikeable cities that support healthy, low-carbon lifestyles. His ideas directly informed Ride & Revide, a project that combines cycling infrastructure with cultural tourism.

The outcomes of KreNI went far beyond idea generation. Winning teams received mentoring and real-world exposure—such as a study visit to Ohrid’s Startup Weekend—while the City of Niš recognized promising initiatives with awards and support for local implementation.

After ten successful editions, KreNI has grown into more than just a creativity festival. It is a platform for youth empowerment, urban experimentation, and cross-sector collaboration. With over 50 youth-led projects launched to date, it exemplifies how localized creativity can influence larger trends in urban development across Europe.

By embedding PSE principles into its structure and outcomes, KreNI demonstrated that proximity is not only a design principle—it is a pathway to more equitable, connected, and sustainable urban futures.