Urbasofia

24/10/2024

Very glad to be able to present the progress of our Horizon Project INT-ACT at the ISOCARP - International Society of City and Regional Planners Conference. 🥳

🌍 The INT-ACT project is thrilled to be part of the 60th ISOCARP - International Society of City and Regional Planners World Planning Congress in Siena, Italy, from October 8-12, 2024! Partner Urbasofia will be presenting our innovative approach to preserving and showcasing intangible cultural heritage through immersive XR environments.

Stay tuned for insights and updates from the event!

18/10/2024

We are excited to share our participation in the 60th ISOCARP - International Society of City and Regional Planners World Planning Congress - Reinventing (In)Visible (In)Cities, held in Siena. The event brought together researchers and academics from around the world and was an excellent opportunity for knowledge sharing and exchange.

URBASOFIA, represented by Valentina Stan, was happy to present the CityWalk project within Track 02-Innovation, creativity, legacy: Cities of/for tomorrow. The presentation focused on showcasing best practices from the Good Practice Catalogue. In short, it highlighted the use of complementary mechanisms for the two categories (Street Redesign and Travel Behavior Change) that have led to successful solutions in the transition towards sustainable urban mobility. Also, the main lessons learned were presented and discussed with the specialists present at the event, discussing on real cases and situations in their countries and cities.

Thanks to the CityWalk project for the opportunity to present the results of our work on urban mobility!

15/10/2024

We’re excited to announce that our latest article, "Transformation Pathways: Drumul Taberei Neighbourhood – a Positive Energy District?" has been published! As the lead partner of the KINETIC project, Urbasofia is proud to contribute to shaping sustainable urban transformations and innovative energy solutions for Bucharest’s Drumul Taberei neighborhood.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our journey towards Positive Energy Districts across Europe! 💡🌿

🚀 Exciting News from the KINETIC Project! 🌍
We are proud to announce that our article titled "Transformation Pathways: Drumul Taberei Neighbourhood - a Positive Energy District?" has been published in the IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science! 🎉
This paper explores the innovative transformation of the Drumul Taberei neighborhood in Bucharest, part of the KINETIC project, into a Positive Energy District (PED). Through collaboration with local authorities, housing associations, and community members, we are working towards making urban areas energy-positive, sustainable, and resilient.
Key Highlights: ✅ Stakeholder co-creation workshops to identify energy transition pathways ✅ Innovative models for Renewable Energy Sources (RES) deployment ✅ Strategic collaborations between municipalities, housing associations, and NGOs ✅ Data-driven approaches to enhancing energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprints
As Europe strives towards climate neutrality, KINETIC’s work demonstrates how large housing estates from the 60s and 70s can be revitalized into vibrant, energy-efficient communities! 🚀💡

Check out the full paper here 👉 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/1402/1/012009

08/10/2024

Check this out! Our NGO got its first-ever Horizon. And what a Horizon to begin with. Exciting times ahead. 🥳🤩

26/09/2024

15 minute cities knowledge.

PROximity Without Density

03/09/2024

The completion of the ✨Build-in-Wood✨ project marks a key milestone in our journey to support EU cities in decarbonizing the construction sector and achieving more sustainable and healthy neighborhoods.

The final conference highlighted all the project's achievements and explored future opportunities to advance the significant amount of knowledge gained by the entire consortium. It's worth highlighting the Build-in-Wood Demonstrator, a novel testing and demonstration facility embodying all the project outcomes and aiming to promote the growth of multi-storey and large-volume timber construction within the EU and beyond.

A huge thank you to the outstanding coordination team at the Danish Technological Institute (Niels Morsing, Anders Kjellow, and Henriikka Taipale) and the entire Build-in-Wood for their invaluable collaboration throughout this project.

We also extend our gratitude to keynote speaker Bob van der Zande from Metropolitan Region Amsterdam, for opening the Final Conference with an inspiring presentation around the Green Deal for Timber Construction. Special thanks to the representatives from Built by Nature, the European wood policy platform (woodPoP), and Stadt Innsbruck who took part and shared their insights and expertise in the field.

Here you can access the Build-in-Wood project results: https://lnkd.in/ddM3rUZf and the Web-based Design Guide: https://lnkd.in/dtgixpN5

Danish Technological Institute
Waugh Thistleton Architects
Norsk Treteknisk Institutt (Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology)
C.F. Møller Architects
National Technical University of Athens
Agentia Metropolitana Brasov
Università di Siena (Università degli Studi di Siena)
proHolz Tirol - mehr über Holz erfahren
Bimetica
Rothoblaas
rtd services OG
Adserballe & Knudsen A/S
Habitech - Distretto Tecnologico Trentino
Stora Enso
Knauf Gips KG
Scandi Byg
hsbcad

08/08/2024

We are excited to share our participation in the 2024 Annual Congress of AESOP - The Association of European Schools of Planning, held in Paris. The event brought together researchers and academics from all over the world and was a great opportunity for sharing and exchanging knowledge.

URBASOFIA, represented by Miruna Draghia, was happy to present the CityWalk project within Track 05-Planning for mobility: accessibility, affordability and sustainability. The presentation was focused on the theoretical work which set the basis for the Good Practice Catalogue prepared within the project. Briefly, it highlighted the multifaceted nature of sustainable urban mobility, presenting different typologies of interventions categorised in street redesign actions and travel behaviour change initiatives.

Thanks to CityWalk project for the opportunity to present the results of our work on the topic of urban mobility!

05/08/2024

We are excited to share the results of the work carried out in the first 6 months of the CityWalk 2.0 project. This work has resulted in the Good Practice Catalogue, which aims to showcase best practices in sustainable urban mobility and travel behaviour change. We are confident that this catalog will be a good starting point for any city willing to make a change towards sustainable urban mobility.

Thanks to all partners involved in this process!

Today, we are excited to launch a new series where we will feature the Good Practice Catalogue coordinated by Urbasofia. In this series, we will showcase exemplary practices that our partnership has identified and curated, focusing on two key themes relevant to our project from all over Europe (see the map).

Category 1: Street Redesign
This category involves modifying urban street layouts and infrastructure to enhance safety, accessibility, and efficiency. It prioritizes pedestrian spaces and promotes urban livability, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Practices within this category include pedestrian streets, shared spaces, boulevards, promenades, low-speed-limit streets, traffic calming measures, parklets, cycling infrastructure, signage, and urban space furniture or amenities such as public transport terminals and bicycle shops.

Category 2: Travel Behaviour Change
This category focuses on implementing multifaceted strategies to reduce car dependency and promote sustainable transportation. It addresses the social, cultural, and psychological factors that influence individual and collective travel choices. Key practices include educational campaigns, zoning regulations, parking policies, congestion pricing, incentives and rewards, behavioral nudges, and technology solutions such as applications, real-time information, and smart transportation systems.

Join us as we explore these outstanding practices and their impact on urban development and transportation!

27/07/2024

Cu multă bucurie am primit vestea intrării LIMES-ului Roman de pe teritoriul României în Patrimoniul UNESCO. Urbasofia e onorată ca a putut contribui la acest demers.

With great joy we received the news of the entry of the Roman LIMES from the territory of Romania into the UNESCO Heritage. Urbasofia is honored to have been able to contribute to this endeavor.

20/06/2024

Urbasofia is thrilled to be part of the groundbreaking Danube Indeet project, collaborating with TZE and our long-time partners from DanuP-2-Gas. This project aims to revolutionize the renewable energy landscape in the Danube region by integrating electric vehicles as mobile storage solutions and promoting green hydrogen production. We're especially proud to have AIDA Alba Iulia Metropolitan Area as our pilot location, showcasing innovative approaches to sustainable energy.

The Danube Indeet Model is a decision-support tool designed to optimize investments in renewable energy infrastructure. The infographic illustrates how the model integrates components like EV chargers, green hydrogen production, and energy storage systems, ensuring efficient and sustainable energy delivery. Through extensive analysis and pilot testing, the project aims to create a transferable strategy for transitioning to renewable energy and transport systems across the Danube region.

18/06/2024

📕 BOOK PUBLICATION with the collaboration of the INCA team

We are thrilled to share the news of the recent publication of a book co-edited by Edoardo Mollona, the coordinator of the project.

✒ Titled "Disruptive Digitalisation and Platforms: Risks and Opportunities of the Great Transformation of Politics, Socio-economic Models, Work, and Education," this book addresses a key theme of the INCA project.

👥 Edoardo Mollona led the book's first section, with valuable contributions from other project members. Specifically, Nic Cuppo, Mattia Frapporti, and Maurilio Pirone are the authors of the second chapter.

🔎 For further details, we invite you to visit our newsroom on the website 👉 🔗 https://inca-project.eu/2024/06/18/book-publication-with-the-collaboration-of-the-inca-team/

EU Law and Publications Digital EU

24/05/2024

We are thrilled to announce that two of our projects have been selected under the 2nd Call for Proposals of the European Urban Initiative - Innovative Actions (EUI-IA). Out of 112 applications from 12 EU Member States, 22 projects have been chosen, showcasing the innovative spirit and diverse urban contexts of Europe.

Selected Projects: B-CONNECT - Municipality of Bistrita and CARE-GET - Municipality of Haskovo.
These projects showcase our commitment to creating sustainable and innovative urban solutions. We are proud to collaborate with the municipalities of Bistrita and Haskovo to bring these transformative initiatives to life.

For more details on the selected projects and the EUI-IA 2nd Call, visit here: https://www.urban-initiative.eu/calls-proposals/second-call-proposals-innovative-actions/selected-projects-eui-ia-2nd-call

Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on this exciting journey!

-IA

09/05/2024

🇪🇺 Happy Europe Day from URBASOFIA! 🌍 Today, as we celebrate the unity and diversity of our continent, we are proud to reflect on over a decade of research, excellence, and innovation funded by European programs.

Since 2011, URBASOFIA has been at the forefront of urban development, policy design, and territorial cohesion across Europe. From Nature-Based Solutions to Positive Energy Districts, Circular Economy to Energy Transition, Cultural Heritage to Urban Regeneration, we've tackled pressing urban challenges with passion and dedication.

Spanning various topics and funded under programs like Interreg Danube, H2020, Horizon Europe, JPI Urban Europe, Urban Innovative Actions, Urbact, and more... you name it. We've done it all. Through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technologies, we've co-designed innovative solutions that enhance quality of life, promote resilience, and foster inclusive communities.

As we look to the future, URBASOFIA remains committed to driving sustainable urban development. With your support and the backing of European funds, we will continue our journey towards creating vibrant, resilient, and inclusive cities. Together, let's build a better tomorrow. 🌱

11/04/2024

Day two in Brussels is buzzing with excitement as we dive into the heart of urban transformation! Today marks the kickoff of our groundbreaking Fair Mobility project, a beacon of hope for sustainable urban futures under the visionary 15-minute cities pathway. But that's not all – we're also here for the JPI Urban Europe PED Call 2 Mid Term Report, representing our innovative project KINETIC.



Adelin Lazăr
Codrut Papina

10/04/2024

Urbasofia is in Brussels for DUT - Driving Urban Transition Kick-off. It's a pleasure to be here as partner of Fair Mobility and also Coordinators of KINETIC project, as under the umbrella of DUT conference, the Mid- Term the 2nd call on Positive Energy Districts of JPI Urban Europe is also hosted.

In the last years Urbasofia was a key player and very active in both JPI and DUT call winning projects on the topics of 15 Minutes Cities and Positive Energy District, joining the Urban Europe Research Alliance and we are looking forward to design and create more under this initiative.

Adelin Lazăr
Codrut Papina

26/03/2024

This March, the picturesque city of Bucharest played host to a pivotal moment in the journey of the Horizon 2020 project "Build-in-Wood". Over two insightful days from 13th to 14th March 2024, the M54 General Assembly meeting brought together the project's partners and stakeholders, marking a signif...

12/02/2024

🌟 Exciting Announcement! 🌟

Today, we're thrilled to announce that the Horizon 2020 European-funded innovation project "-in-Wood" is opening its doors to external European-level partners!

Whether you're eager to access technical and policy knowledge for decarbonizing the construction sector or simply excited to share your experiences with fellow cities, planners, and policy-makers we invite you to join the Build-in-Wood Replication Cluster!

Ready to make a difference? Register and support us in setting up the Replication Cluster Program at the link below!

https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/Open_Call_For_Affiliation_Build-in-Wood

31/10/2023

🎉 Save the date: 14th of November at 14:00 CET🎉 If you're a policymaker or part of a forward-thinking municipality, this one's for you! 👀👀👀

Don't forget to sign up for the upcoming Wood Academy Talk: Build-in-Wood Policy Catalogue: Unlocking a sustainable built environment through pro-wood policies! 🌁🏗️

It will be a good opportunity to find out what policy instruments you can employ as a municipality to create a more sustainable built environment by prioritizing wood and what lessons can be drawn from cities and regions worldwide that have taken significant steps in this direction.

URBASOFIA will be sharing some insights from the Build-in-Wood Policy Catalogue which is available on the Build-in-Wood Community > Cities and Municipalities Group >Media Center >👀👀👀.

Check it out and let's hear each other in the next Wood Academy Talk! 💫 💫 💫

Wood Academy Talk: Build-in-Wood Policy Catalogue – Unlocking a sustainable built environment through pro-wood policies