Urbasofia

🌍 Looking back at the WUF13 Azerbaijan in Baku on the topic of mobility

Together with Michael W. Mehaffy and Rolf Schuett, we explored mobility not only as transport infrastructure, but as a way of connecting people, housing, opportunity and everyday urban life. A key idea was that sustainable mobility depends on a network of choices: walking, public transport, cycling and, when needed, cars as one option among many. Walkability remains the foundation, because every journey still begins and ends with the pedestrian experience.

The discussion moderated by Miruna Draghia also showed how mobility can become a tool for social inclusion. Examples such as cable car systems in Medellín and La Paz demonstrate that infrastructure can connect fragmented territories, reduce distances and bring different social groups into shared urban space.

Many thanks to Michael W. Mehaffy and Rolf Schuett for the inspiring exchange and for helping us rethink mobility as a key element of more connected, inclusive and liveable cities.

On the second day of the SET-PED annual consortium meeting in Eskilstuna, our URBASOFIA team continued working on one of the key questions of the project: how can circular urban furniture be adapted, replicated and scaled in different local contexts?

The visit to the AMA Center, where the first SET-PED prototype for Eskilstuna was built, was especially valuable for our work. Seeing the material preparation, construction process and local collaboration behind the prototype helped us better understand what needs to be considered when developing the future prototype in Bucharest.

In Bucharest, Urbasofia is working together with Primăria Sectorului 6 al Municipiului Bucuresti, Între Vecini, ADP Sector 6 and to bring Sector 6 Urban Innovation and Design Center SRL the SET-PED concept into the local context and adapt it to the needs of the city, its public spaces and communities.

Later in the day, Giorgia Romagnoli and Miruna Cioaca facilitated a local stakeholder workshop focused on use-case scenarios. The session explored how smart and circular urban furniture could respond to different needs, locations and target users, and how this concept can support both new public spaces and the improvement of existing ones.

The inputs collected during the workshop will contribute to URBASOFIA’s work on the SET-PED strategy for replicating and scaling the urban furniture concept at city level. These use-case scenarios will serve as practical examples for municipalities and other relevant stakeholders interested in integrating circular, co-created and energy-positive solutions into urban regeneration processes.

We are grateful for the exchange in Eskilstuna and look forward to applying these lessons in the Bucharest pilot.

🔗 Learn more about SET-PED: https://lnkd.in/djF86BZJ

📩 The latest CARE-GET E-Newsletter No. 3 is now available!

This edition highlights recent project activities throughout 2026, including pilot developments, local engagement initiatives and collaborative actions contributing to improved care services in European cities. 🌍

Curious to find out more?
Available here:

CARE-GET e-newsletter_3rd edition_ENG_2026.pdf 1 file sent via WeTransfer, the simplest way to send your files around the world

Yesterday in Eskilstuna, Sweden, our Urbasofia team, represented by Miruna-Mihaela Cioacă and Giorgia Romagnoli, joined the SET-PED annual consortium meeting, hosted by Eskilstuna kommun at the Energy Evolution Center.

The meeting was a valuable opportunity to reconnect with project partners, share progress, and discuss the next steps for SET-PED’s work on circular, co-created and energy-positive urban solutions.

During Day 1, Giorgia Romagnoli presented URBASOFIA’s work on use-case scenarios and replication logic, while Miruna-Mihaela Cioacă shared updates on the Bucharest pilot progress and the project’s dissemination and communication efforts.

The day also included an inspiring visit to ReTuna Återbruksgalleria Recycling Mall, the world’s first recycling mall and a strong example of circular economy in practice.

We are happy to contribute to this collaborative process and look forward to the next steps of the project.

🔗 Learn more about SET-PED: https://setpedproject.wixsite.com/set-ped

On 19–20 May, our colleague Adelin Lazăr represented Urbasofia at the Final Conference of the Danube Indeet project in Zrenjanin, Serbia, where he presented the results of the Model Testing activity and the outcomes of six pilot regions across Romania, Montenegro, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A key achievement of the project has been the testing and validation of the Danube Indeet Model; an innovative decision-support tool designed to help public authorities, infrastructure operators, energy planners, businesses, and investors explore future scenarios for integrated energy and transport systems. By simulating different combinations of renewable energy production, battery storage, electric mobility infrastructure, Vehicle-to-Grid applications, and green hydrogen solutions, the model provides valuable insights into the technical and economic feasibility of investments, supporting evidence-based decisions for the energy transition.

We would like to sincerely thank our hosts, the Regional Agency for Socio-Economic Development – Banat (RDA Banat), for the flawless organisation of this excellent event and for creating a valuable space for knowledge exchange among partners and stakeholders from across the Danube Region.

URBASOFIA is proud to have been part of such a dedicated and inspiring consortium, working together towards a shared vision of a cleaner, more resilient, and better-connected energy future. The project reflects our continued commitment to excellence within the Interreg Danube Region Programme and to developing innovative solutions that support sustainable mobility, renewable energy integration, and climate-neutral development across Europe. Danube Indeet has shown how cooperation, innovation, and evidence-based planning can help turn ambitious energy transition goals into practical and replicable solutions.

🌍 Another inspiring discussion at the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku on “Rethinking how we build in cities. Sustainable and circular construction with wood”, together with Marion Mienert and Lars Loebner from the Senatsverwaltung Stadtentwicklung, Bauen & Wohnen, in Berlin.

The discussion highlighted Berlin’s experience in advancing timber construction through initiatives such as the School Building Initiative — a modular serial building program launched in 2018, through which 89 timber projects have already been realized in just 8 years — and the Schumacher Quartier, one of the 24 new urban neighborhoods the city is currently developing.

A key takeaway was the importance of collaboration between state-owned housing companies, cooperatives, private developers, the Senate, and Berlin’s 12 districts in delivering affordable, climate-friendly, high-quality housing. For these new urban neighborhoods, faster approval procedures and coordinated action are seen as important to accelerate implementation.

The discussion also addressed current challenges, including costs for construction with timber, the need to further develop the market, and encouraging more the private sector in the field to build in wood. At the same time, modular timber construction was recognized for benefits such as easier logistics and reduced noise and disturbance for residents during construction.

Timberhaus

On May 19–20, Urbasofia, represented by our colleague Valentina Stan, took part in the final conference of the CityWalk project 2.0 project, funded through the Interreg Danube programme.

The event was jointly organized with the Streets for Citizens project, funded through Interreg Euro-MED, with the shared goal of promoting innovative urban development solutions that make streets and public spaces safer, more accessible, and more people-friendly — while reducing car dependency and encouraging sustainable mobility.

The conference brought together representatives of local public authorities and partner organizations from Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Romania, Hungary, and other participating countries, alongside experts in urban planning and sustainable mobility.

During the final panel discussion focused on project outcomes and implementation experiences, URBASOFIA highlighted the importance of the travel behaviour change component, emphasizing why it should be integrated into all mobility projects and how it can support communities in making more conscious and sustainable mobility choices.

An important part of the conference was the exhibition of pilot actions implemented by partner cities from both projects. Participants had the opportunity to learn directly from project representatives about implementation processes, urban impact, and best practices for community engagement.

We would like to thank ZRS Bistra Ptuj, the project lead partner, for organizing this final event and for the opportunity to be part of a project that has successfully contributed to changing mindsets and creating tangible progress toward more sustainable and active mobility.

A big thank you as well to all project partners and stakeholders involved for their dedication and collaboration throughout this journey.

Let’s keep walking! 🚶‍♀️🌍

🌍 Day 3 at the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku and the conversation on the future of cities continues.

One of today’s highlights was the lively pop-up discussion on “Biophilic Cities – Is Nature More Than Just Beautiful?” together with, together with Ali A. Alraouf, Dr. Haris Piplas, and Darinka Golubovic-Matic.

A key takeaway from the discussion: nature should be perceived as planned infrastructure in our cities. But dealing with living and complex systems is not easy. It is a matter of awareness — both from communities and public authorities — of how we can work together with nature, rather than against it.

One thing becomes clearer with every discussion: if we want to create a more sustainable pathway for our cities, the most important thing we need to do is collaborate.

Many thanks to Ali Alraouf, Haris Piplas, and Dara Golubovic-Matic for the inspiring discussion and valuable exchange of ideas.

🌍 WUF13 Azerbaijan, Baku — day two at the World Urban Forum

Today, the Urbasofia team continued the conversation with inspiring professionals shaping the future of sustainable cities. We had the opportunity to exchange ideas with key experts in energy transition, including Rajendra Kumar, and sustainable mobility, through discussions with Darinka Golubovic-Matic.

Keep in touch — in the coming days, we’ll share short snapshots and key takeaways from our conversations at World Urban Forum Azerbaijan, capturing ideas and inspiring perspectives from experts around the world.

📍 18–22 May | Baku, Azerbaijan

🌍 Elevate project holds its 3rd Partners' Meeting in Bucharest!

On 5–6 May 2026, the Elevate project consortium gathered in Bucharest, Romania, hosted by DGASPC Sector 6, for two days of knowledge exchange, co-creation, and forward planning — bringing together 17 partners from 11 Danube Region countries.
Under the motto "nothing about us without us," the meeting deepened our shared commitment to building inclusive, age-friendly communities where older adults and people with disabilities are active shapers of change.

🌟 Our colleagues from the Urbasofia team, brought their insights for strategic overview and interconnectivity between project within these two days:
- Irina Alexandra Panait as Leader of SO1 opened the meeting by presenting the strategic steps in the agenda and its main objectives, putting together the gathered knowledge within SO1. On Day 2, she took the floor to present The Draft ELEVATE governance model — a key milestone for the project, outlining the practical roadmap for implementing pilot actions across 12 Danube territories over the next three semesters.
- Ana Dragomir represented the NONA Academy, introducing their innovative governance models, policy recommendations, investor handbooks, and educational formats — including travelling academies and national forums — all focused on sustainable development, green investments, and the revitalisation of public spaces and heritage areas across the Danube Region.

Other highlights from Bucharest:
🎤 Sessions on age-friendly media & digital inclusion, population ageing policies, and a capacity-building workshop on communicating social solutions to diverse stakeholders;
🗺️ All 12 pilot partners presented their action plans under SO2, outlining target groups, planned activities, and expected impacts;
🔭 A first look at sustainability & mainstreaming activities (SO3), including the upcoming Society Fair on 24 September 2026 in Slovenia;
🏛️ Study visits brought the mission to life: → Seniors' Club "Iulia Hasdeu" — active ageing and intergenerational connection → Social XChange — circular economy meeting social inclusion → Local Food Bank Sector 6 — 2,000 warm meals daily for children in need.

A warm thank you to DGASPC Sector 6, for the exceptional organisation and warm Romanian hospitality!
The ELEVATE project (2025–2028) is co-funded by the Interreg Danube Region Programme with a budget of €2.79M, supporting inclusive territorial development across the Danube Region.

👉 More information about the project: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/elevate