Iași, April 28, 2026 – The inaugural edition of TILIA – Today’s Ideas and Leadership in Action (The Romanian Cities Summit) took place on April 23 and 24 at the Palace of Culture in Iași. Organized by the IULIUS Foundation in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the event drew 600 in-person participants and over 300 online. The format connected local and central administrations with architects, urban planners, international financing experts, the business and academic sectors, and civil society.
The two-day debate opened with vital questions: How can Romania’s cities grow without losing their people, memory, and energy? How can they become greener, better connected, and more friendly, while simultaneously attracting investment, talent, and infrastructure projects? TILIA brought together diverse perspectives that often remain siloed in public discourse.
The summit approached urban development through two complementary lenses:
Day 1: Focused on vision, urban design, architecture, mobility, and urban well-being.
Day 2: Emphasized concrete solutions, infrastructure, financing, EU funds, and PPP mechanisms.
The summit’s special guest, Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City and a globally influential urbanist, spoke on the direct link between urban design, social trust, and human well-being. In his presentation, “The Science of Happy Cities and Human Well-being,” Montgomery noted:
“Urban design dictates behavior, and the cities we build today can either bring us together or isolate us. When we put cars at the center of the city, we lose space, freedom, and ultimately, happiness.”
He cited the transformation of New York’s Times Square, the removal of cars from around schools in Paris, and car-free neighborhoods as models where technology and alternative mobility reclaim urban space for people.
A complementary perspective was offered by Foster + Partners. Stefan Behling, Senior Executive Partner, known for iconic projects like Apple Park and the German Parliament (Reichstag), held a masterclass on global benchmarks for responsible urban design.
“Architecture isn’t just about buildings; it’s about experiences. We must give cities back to the people and create spaces they can truly enjoy… We seek to create healthier places for people by helping nature return to cities.”
Raluca Munteanu, Development Director at IULIUS, presented the company’s vision: that major urban transformations stem from courage and the ability to see potential where others see limits.
“At IULIUS, we care about building for generations, not for quick returns. We’ve heard many times that it ‘can’t be done’—that you can’t relocate, decontaminate, or reconnect an industrial platform to the city. But our experience shows that some projects only seem impossible until they become reality.”
The second day focused on implementation. Mihai Jurca, Head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, highlighted the need for partnerships capable of enduring market volatility. In the “Green Cities” panel, mayors from across Romania (including Iași, Bucharest, Constanța, and Brașov) discussed the reality that Romanian cities often evolve based on opportunities and constraints rather than long-term planning.
Marius Perșenea, COO of IULIUS, emphasized integration:
“For nearly 30 years, we built cities separately: administration and investors. Today, we are convinced that urban regeneration projects must be fully integrated into the administration’s planned infrastructure for long-term relevance.”
Maria Tzanidaki (EBRD) explained that the EBRD is preparing a portfolio of approximately 15 projects worth an estimated €3 billion, focusing on economic regeneration and government consultancy. Marcelo Catellanos (IFC) added that Romania is ready for PPPs, noting that while legal frameworks can be refined, the current environment is sufficient; what is missing is a “culture of collaboration.”
Veolia Romania presented its PPP model between Apa Nova Bucharest and the Bucharest City Hall as one of Europe’s most successful utility partnerships. Since 2000, over €795 million has been invested, increasing water network efficiency from 50% to 80% and providing services to over 2.1 million residents.
TILIA – Today’s Ideas and Leadership In Action: An annual initiative by the IULIUS Group aimed at becoming a benchmark for collaboration among urban development stakeholders in Romania.
IULIUS Foundation: Supports sustainable community development through education, environmental protection, and improving urban quality of life.
Website: www.tilia-summit.ro
Contact: contact@tilia-summit.ro
Iasi, March 23, 2026 — IULIUS announces the launch of TILIA – Today’s Ideas and Leadership in Action, a national initiative dedicated to concrete solutions for the development of Romanian cities. Implemented through the IULIUS Foundation, TILIA marks the beginning of an annual initiative of dialogue and collaboration for urban development.
Iași, România ─── April 23 – 24, 2026
The first edition of the Romanian Cities Summit will bring together, on April 23–24, 2026, at the Palace of Culture in Iași, over 300 mayors, architects, urban planners, representatives of international financial institutions, academia and civil society, to build together applicable solutions for a better life in Romania’s cities. The summit will be complemented by a national premiere architecture exhibition that can be visited at the Palace of Culture between April 7 and May 3.
The ambition of the initiative is to become an annual benchmark for all actors involved in the transformation of cities in Romania – a space for dialogue in which the urban vision is directly connected with concrete financing and implementation mechanisms, in order to generate real solutions and collaborations that can be put into practice.
“We often talk about cities either in terms of the future or looking backwards. Through TILIA we want to bring the conversation to the present, to what we can do concretely, today, for the cities in which we live. We thought of this approach as a framework in which administrations, investors, architects, academia and civil society work together, not only to generate ideas, but to transform them into applicable solutions, based on real examples and on the application of lessons learned and on the exchange of good practices”
“The EBRD is delighted to partner with IULIUS in TILIA, bringing Romania’s cities into the spotlight and working together to chart practical pathways towards greener urban spaces, better housing standards and more inclusive communities. We’re excited to lend our expertise to drive the initiative forward.”
One of the key moments of the first edition is the exhibition, Future Proof by Foster + Partners, presented for the first time in Romania. Recognized worldwide for emblematic projects on six continents and built projects in over 45 countries, Foster + Partners will bring to the Palace of Culture in Iasi 30 models, 3D modulations of representative international projects.
The opening of the exhibition will take place on April 7, 2026, and the works can be visited until May 3, 2026 at the Palace of Culture in Iași – offering the general public, but also professionals in the field, the opportunity to explore decades of world-renowned architecture and urbanism, from Apple Park to the Great Court at the British Museum, the Reichstag (the new building of the Berlin Parliament, Germany) as well as master plans for entire cities.
This is an exciting opportunity to present over five decades of the practice’s work to the people of Iași – inside an incredible building that is the centrepiece of our new masterplan for the historic area. The exhibition sheds light on our approach, which has always been defined by a future-facing commitment to innovation and responsible design”.
The exhibition reflects Foster + Partners’ approach to architecture and urbanism, built over more than five decades, around responsible, adaptable and sustainable design. From interventions on historic buildings to masterplans for low-carbon cities and urban systems, the projects presented explore how infrastructure, energy and public spaces can contribute to the development of resilient communities.
During the TILIA – Today’s Ideas and Leadership in Action Summit, the exhibition will be complemented by a masterclass held by the Foster + Partners team, giving architects, urban planners and decision-makers the opportunity to dialogue directly about the application of these principles in real projects.
The first 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 and people-oriented cities, with international perspectives and case studies in urban regeneration.
The next day, April 24 – Financing and implementation – moves the discussion from vision to concrete mechanisms: financing urban projects, structuring public-private partnerships and solutions for one of the most pressing urban challenges: affordable housing.
On the main stage, representatives of commercial banks, international development finance institutions together with public policy experts will debate the current challenges of cities – from financing to the legislative framework – with the aim of generating solutions that can then be taken over by all the actors involved.
In parallel, on the second stage, Cities in the Making: Design, Culture and Nature explores the forces that shape the character of a city – from architecture and creative industries, to mental health and green infrastructure.
At TILIA – Today’s Ideas and Leadership in Action, the Romanian Cities Summit, an event held between April 23-24, in Iași, over 300 participants – mayors, architects, urban planners, representatives of academia and civil society – are expected to discuss concrete solutions for the development of cities in Romania.
TILIA – Today’s Ideas and Leadership in Action, the Summit of Cities in Romania, is an initiative developed by the IULIUS group, through the IULIUS Foundation, dedicated to concrete solutions for the development of cities in Romania.
TILIA is designed as an annual initiative, which brings together public administrations, investors, financial institutions, architects, academia and civil society in an implementation-oriented framework of dialogue and collaboration.
TILIA aims to become a benchmark for collaboration between actors involved in urban development in Romania.
The IULIUS Foundation is the initiative through which the IULIUS Group supports the sustainable development of communities, through projects dedicated to education, environmental protection and increasing the quality of urban life, contributing to cities better connected to people’s needs.
IULIUS is a developer and real-estate operator specialized in mixed-use urban regeneration projects in Romania, with over 25 years of experience in real estate and with a presence in four major cities in the country – Iasi, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca and Suceava.
Its portfolio includes over 320,000 sqm of retail, in two mixed-use urban regeneration projects (Palas Iași and Iulius Town Timișoara), the national network of regional shopping malls (Iulius Mall – Iași, Cluj-Napoca and Suceava) and the Family Market projects in Iași (Miroslava and Bucium). The projects are market leaders at regional level and register over 73 million visits annually.
IULIUS projects are sustainable concepts, which integrate large gardens, bringing nature in the middle of cities, between people.
IULIUS has established itself as one of the most active developers and operators of class A office spaces, building, under the national United Business Center brand, regional business hubs and multinational creative communities in three important university centers in Romania – Iasi, Timisoara and Cluj-Napoca. In total, 15 green buildings, with a total area of over 240,000 sqm, in which over 140 companies are present and where over 29,000 employees work.
On April 23–24, 2026, the first edition of the Romanian Cities Summit will bring together at the Palace of Culture in Iași over 300 mayors, architects, urban planners, and representatives from international financial institutions, academia, and civil society, to collectively build actionable solutions for a better life in Romania’s cities.
Urban Vision and Design – explore the principles behind vibrant, people-oriented cities, featuring international perspectives and case studies in urban regeneration.
Financing and Implementation – shift the discussion from vision to concrete mechanisms: urban project financing, structuring public-private partnerships, and solutions for one of the most pressing urban challenges – affordable housing.
For the first time in Romania, Charles Montgomery, author of “Happy City” and one of the 100 most influential urban planners in the world, is coming to TILIA-Romanian Cities Summit. Register for free now, places are limited.
