- Almost 400 participants are expected in Iași on April 23 and 24: mayors, urban planners, architects, investors, representatives of international financing institutions, the private sector, academia and civil society.
- 55 international and local speakers will take to the two stages at the Palace of Culture in Iași, during the two days of the Summit
- On the agenda: international financing of urban infrastructure, structuring public-private partnerships, the link between city design and community well-being, affordable housing and examples of good practices for better living in cities
- Charles Montgomery — author of The Happy City — comes to Romania for the first time, at TILIA
The organization of Today's Ideas and Leadership In Action ( Romanian Cities Summit ), a national initiative dedicated to concrete solutions for the development of cities in Romania, developed by IULIUS in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), is entering a straight line.
The first edition of the Romanian Cities Summit will bring together, on April 23–24, 2026, at the Palace of Culture in Iași, almost 400 participants – mayors, architects, urban planners, representatives of international financial institutions, the business, academic and civil society environments – to jointly build applicable solutions for a better life in Romanian cities. 55 speakers, local and international personalities of urban development, will take the stage during the two days of the Summit. This edition of the Romanian Cities Summit is built around the idea that cities transform when vision and implementation are approached together.
Day One, April 23 – Urban Vision and Design – explores the principles behind vibrant, people-centered cities, with international perspectives and case studies in urban regeneration.
The first day of TILIA brings to the main stage of the Palace of Culture in Iași some of the most influential voices in world architecture: representatives of Foster + Partners. The office responsible for Apple Park, the Reichstag or the future urban regeneration of the Oil Terminal area in Constanța presents a masterclass on the principles of sustainable urban design, followed by a dialogue with the Order of Architects of Romania, Bucharest and Iași branches.
The highlight of the day is a keynote address by Charles Montgomery, author of The Happy City and one of the 100 most influential voices in urban planning worldwide (Planetizen, 2023), who is visiting Romania for the first time. His talk, “The Science of Happy Cities: Principles and Ideas for Romania,” will explore how urban design directly influences well-being, mobility, and community life.
Day 1 also includes interventions on integrated water and energy solutions for sustainable cities, a case study on environmental partnerships in Bucharest , and a practical session on urban mobility — 10 measures that cities can implement now for better traffic, supported by international experts.
The next day, April 24 – Vision and Implementation – moves the discussion from vision to concrete mechanisms to support it. The opening belongs to representatives of the Prime Minister's Chancellery, the EBRD and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, followed by a roundtable with mayors from six Romanian cities in dialogue with EBRD experts about green urban development financing programs.
The panel dedicated to public-private partnerships brings together representatives of the Prime Minister's Chancellery, EBRD, IFC Romania and experts in law and public finance.
Veolia Romania will present the PPP model of excellence between Apa Nova București, a Veolia company, and the Bucharest City Hall, one of the longest-running and most successful public-private partnerships in the public utilities sector in Europe. The model is based on a close collaboration between the expertise and financial resources of the private sector (Apa Nova – Veolia Romania) and the public responsibility of the local authority, thus ensuring an optimal balance between operational efficiency and quality public service.
Day 2 ends with the panel on affordable housing and the presentation of Foster + Partners for the urban regeneration of the Oil Terminal Constanța area, a concept of European scope.
The full agenda is available on the official website of the TILIA Summit of Cities in Romania.
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