Almost 400 participants and 55 international and local speakers are participating, on Thursday and Friday, at the Romanian Cities Summit TILIA (Today's Ideas and Leadership In Action), an event organized in Iasi, at the Palace of Culture, which aims to bring together leaders from public administration, the private sector and civil society to identify concrete solutions for urban development.

Mayors, urban planners, architects, investors, representatives of international financing institutions, academia and civil society are present at this first edition of the event in Iasi, in a dialogue aimed at transforming Romanian cities.

'The summit is organized in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and focuses on topics such as financing urban infrastructure, developing public-private partnerships, affordable housing and the link between urban design and community well-being,' the organizers say.

The event is built around the idea that cities transform when vision and implementation are approached together.

The first day, dedicated to vision and urban design, will bring international perspectives and case studies on urban regeneration to the forefront. Among the guests are representatives of an architecture firm known for major projects at a global level, who held a masterclass on sustainable urban design.

The central moment of the day was held by Charles Montgomery, who was in Romania for the first time. In the keynote 'The Science of Happy Cities: Principles and Ideas for Romania', he addressed how urban design influences mobility, community life and the well-being of residents.

The first day's agenda also included discussions on integrated water and energy solutions for sustainable cities, as well as a session dedicated to urban mobility, in which international experts will present concrete measures to improve traffic.

The second day of the summit will shift the focus from vision to implementation, with the participation of representatives of the Government, international financial institutions and local administration. The program includes a roundtable with mayors from several cities in Romania, in dialogue with EBRD experts, on the topic of financing green urban projects.

At the same time, a panel dedicated to public-private partnerships will bring together representatives of government institutions, the financial environment and experts in law and finance, in an attempt to identify efficient mechanisms to support investments in urban development.

The organizers consider that the first edition of the Romanian Cities Summit marks an important step in creating a platform for dialogue and collaboration between actors involved in urban development, at a time when the need for sustainable and applicable solutions is becoming increasingly urgent. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniela Malache; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)