Join us for a thought-provoking journey into the innovative and sustainable solutions that will shape the future of Transylvanian cities!

The conference will bring together the best local and international experts, across various areas of urban development, with an eye to framing and exploring them taking into account the circumstances of Cluj and the Transylvanian cities. 

In addition to the panel discussions and presentations, the conference aims to be an opportunity for experts and governmental actors, as well as students and the general public, to exchange ideas about the possibilities of sustainable urban planning. The event will also provide an opportunity for professional and personal networking. 

The two-day event will incorporate keynote speeches, panel discussions and networking opportunities. The invited experts will present their latest research and innovative initiatives in four panels:

  • Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Planning
  • Cultural and Creative Industries in Urban Development
  • Economic Development and Digital Transformation in Urban Environments
  • Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca Cityscape

The lectures and discussions will be in English. The event is free but registration is required. We kindly ask you to inform us of your intention to attend by filling in the form below: HERE.

 

Conference Schedule

Day 1 - Thursday, 16th of November:

  •  9:00–10:00 - Registration and Welcome Coffee
  • 10:00–10:30 - Opening Remarks and Introduction
  • 10:30–11:10 - Keynote Speech: Dr. Robin Mazumder
  • 11:10–11:20 - Reflections: Dr. Calum T. M. Nicholson
  • 11:20–11:30 - Coffee Break and Networking
  • 11:30–13:00 - Panel Discussion: Sustainable and Inclusive City Planning
  • 13:00–14:00 - Lunch Break and Networking
  • 14:00–15:30 - Panel Discussion: Cultural and Creative Industries in Urban Development
  • 15:30–15:40 - Closing Remarks for Day 1

Day 2 - Friday, 17th of November:

  • 10:00–11:00 - Registration and Welcome Coffee
  • 11:00–12:30 - Panel Discussion: Economic Development and Digital Transformation in Urban Environments
  • 12:30–13:30 - Lunch Break and Networking
  • 13:30–15:00 - Panel Discussion: Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca Cityscape
  • 15:00–15:30 - Closing Remarks and Conference Summary

Meet our Speakers

Dr Robin Mazumder (Germany) is an environmental neuroscientist with a keen interest in how urban design impacts individual, community, and societal wellbeing. His PhD in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Waterloo was funded by the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and applied wearable technology in real and virtual settings to examine psychological and physiological responses to dense urban environments. In addition to his research, Robin is an outspoken advocate for healthy urban design and has given more than 30 keynotes internationally on the topic. He was named Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine in 2014, an "Edmontonian to Watch'' in 2015 by Metro Edmonton, and in 2018 was awarded the University of Waterloo’s President’s Community Impact Award in recognition of his leadership and advocacy. Robin is also passionate about science communication and has been interviewed by and written for major media publications, including the CBC, Huffington Post, Wired, and Vice. He is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Technical University of Berlin as part of Research Platform Neurourbanism. Robin is currently writing a book on the topic of his keynote, and is signed with literary agency Cooke-McDermid.

Dr Calum T. M. Nicholson studied social anthropology at Cambridge, migration studies at Oxford, and completed his PhD in human geography. Earlier he served as a development consultant and a researcher for the UK Parliament. He researches the social consequences of climate change and the impact of social media. He is currently a visiting fellow at MCC and Danube Institute.

Prof. Dr. Yves Cabannes (Portugal) is a planner, urban specialist and scholar, chair of Development Planning [2006-2015] at Bartlett Development Planning Unit (DPU), University College London and, previously, a lecturer at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He was the regional Coordinator of the UN-Habitat/UNDP Urban Management Program for Latin America and the Caribbean. He became Emeritus Professor of Development Planning at the University College London / Development Planning Unit in 2015. Over the past 45 years, he has worked with local governments, NGOs, international organizations and CBOs as a researcher, practitioner, advisor or advocate in different cities of the world on urban agriculture & food sovereignty, participatory planning and budgeting, municipal public policies, affordable housing, community-led initiatives and appropriate technologies. He has published extensively on these issues. As part of his commitment to civil society initiatives, he was part and continues actively involved in different roles with international and local non-profits, NGOs and Social Economy enterprises in different countries around the world. 

Yasha Young (Germany), a Senior Executive and Curator with 25 years of global project production experience (Humboldt Forum Berlin, MOMA Italy, MOCA, UN NYC, Foreign Ministry Germany, Sotheby's, Saatchi, Phillips, ART Cologne, Rothschild Collection, SONY Music, Levis, Nike, Patreon, Universal Music, Art Basel, Lollapalooza, SuperBloom, Goethe Institut, Berlin Biennale, NYC Fashion Week). She is a creative city planner and innovation curator working in AbuDhabi and with longevity engineers (Lombardi ) all over the world. She is the Founder, Concept Creator, and Founding Executive Director (2013 -2019) of URBAN NATION Berlin, the worldwide first Museum for Urban Contemporary art and a unique interdisciplinary project on a global scale representing over 450 artists and projects in 54 countries.

Dr. Izaskun Chinchilla (Spain), a PhD Architect from Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. International Fellow RIBA. She is driving her own office since 2001 in Madrid. She has a long and deep experience in research, education and public engagement. She is Professor of Architectural Practice at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College of London. She has also teached at Hong Kong University, Ecole Special (Paris), HEAD University (Geneva), University of Alicante (Escuela de Arquitectura Universidad de Alicante), Madrid University (Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), CEU San Pablo University (Madrid) and IE (Segovia). Her designer activity is accompanied by a research project called “The Structure of the Ecological Revolution in Architecture” that has taken her as visitting scholar to Columbia University in New York, Ecole de Mines de Paris and Princeton University in New Jersey and also to the Institut d ´Arquitectura Avancada de Catalunya (Barcelona), in a Postgraduate Master. In 2012 she was awarded with a Public Engagement fellowship from University College of London. As speaker she has participated in forum, lectures and debates in more than 80 international destinies and more than 100 different magazines and publications has talked about the proposals from her office. 

Jaakko Blomberg (Finland) is an activist, producer and executive director of Helsinki Urban Art. He specialises in co-creation, placemaking and urban art. For more than ten years he has been making many community-based events and art projects, which use urban spaces in new ways, bring people together - and simply make life more fun. These projects include for example a national flea market day, setting up a table for a thousand people to eat in the middle of a street, art exhibitions and theatre in homes, a day of open saunas and pop up restaurants. Lately he has focused more in urban art and has been creating the Pasila street art district in Helsinki and developing former industrial areas for cultural use. His activism and enthusiasm that started just from the need to do something more meaningful turned quickly into a profession and appreciation - for his actions he has received Citizen of the Year title and Helsinki Travel Award in 2016.

David Parrish (UK) is an expert in the cultural and creative industries. His work is internationally respected and he has assisted numerous businesses, government agencies and not-for-profit organisations in more than 60 countries around the world, from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe. In creative cities worldwide, David has helped creative and cultural entrepreneurs to become even more successful through his business advice, speeches, training workshops and books. He has developed and managed projects to help creative enterprises to grow, export, create jobs and stimulate the local economy. David has direct experience of leading and managing creative and cultural enterprises. His practical experience is complemented by academic qualifications, professional accreditations and membership of several management institutes. He is the author of the book "T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity" which has been published in translations in 14 countries worldwide.

Kris Andreychuk (Canada), a Social Worker by training, Kris Andreychuk leads the Data Science and Research team at the City of Edmonton, Canada’s top public service data science program. Scrappy, pragmatic and obsessed with moving insight to action, the team partners with business areas to solve real problems and operationalize the results. From data governance to public safety, social services to information security, Kris has led a range of portfolios focused on improving the lives of Edmontonians. Named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 under 40 by Edify Magazine, Kris has received numerous awards and international recognition for his work.

Agnieszka Kolek (Belgium), artist, curator and co-founder of Passion for Freedom London Art Festival, Head of Cultural Engagement at MCC Brussels, former Deputy Director at Ujazdowski Castle, Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw. Together with her teams she built an extensive network of artists committed to protecting freedom of expression. Agnieszka survived the terror attack in Copenhagen in 2015. She continued the meeting on art and blasphemy after the attack by saying: “They not only want to kill us. They want us to stop talking, so we should continue.”

Eliza Yokina (Romania). With a creative personality as well as a keen eye for detail, Eliza Yokina is drawn to the sensitive reinterpretation of architecture and the story behind it. She is a founding member of SYAA Architecture Office, Cumulus Architecture and De-a Arhitectura Society. She was the winner of the Bucharest Architecture Annual two years in a row, as well as other awards and distinctions. Eliza translates architecture as a way of better understanding life and the society we live in. As an artist always true to her inner nature, Eliza powerfully relates to art and object design. For her, projects and organisations bring the opportunity to work at her best, to contribute to education and the built environment, with architecture and design providing a space in which she can better explore her vision.

Dr. Șerban Țigănaș (Romania) is a prominent figure in Romanian architecture, founder of Dico & Țigănaș office and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at the Technical University of Cluj Napoca. He is a former president of the Romanian Order of Architects, an institution in which he initiated the Research Study of the profession of architect and the Romanian Architecture Policy. He has held various positions in the Council of European Architects and as Secretary General of the International Union of Architects, as part of the preparatory team for the 2020 UIA Congress in Rio, establishing Rio de Janeiro as the first World Capital of Architecture. Dico & Țigănaș and the Spanish firm PINEARQ are the winners of the design competition of the Transplant Centre in Cluj. They have also competed with the design of the Children’s Hospital Cluj-Napoca.

Emese Oláh (Romania), Emese Oláh, serving as the Vice Mayor of Cluj-Napoca since 2017, brings a wealth of experience to her role. With a foundation in law and economics, she commenced her career as a legal adviser for the DAHR (RMDSZ) faction at the Chamber of Deputies, followed by a decade-long tenure as a lawyer. As the current Vice Mayor, Ms. Oláh serves as a crucial link between the local administration and the Hungarian minority, championing not only their interests but also advocating for the entire city's diverse population. Furthermore, her engagement in social welfare matters underscores a holistic approach to urban development, addressing social gaps and promoting inclusivity—a key aspect of fostering vibrant cultural and creative industries within the city.

Rarița Zbranca (Romania),is program director at the Cluj Cluj Cultural Centre. She has 20 years of experience in cultural management, programming, research and policy. She is director and co-founder of AltArt Foundation, an organization dedicated to experimental methods in art and society, as well as co-founder of Fabrica de Pensule, an independent collective space for contemporary arts in Cluj-Napoca. Rarița is involved in the development of cultural policies in Cluj-Napoca, but also at national level through her work in the Coalition for the Independent Cultural Sector and at European level. She is a member of the strategic group of the A Soul for Europe initiative and a member of the board of the European House for Culture and the Balkan Express network. She has contributed as a speaker and trainer to numerous professional forums, including major conferences. In 2015, she received the Cultural Management Award from the Romanian National Cultural Fund Administration and a similar award from the Romanian Business Women's Association. Since 2017, she has been involved in PhD research at the Faculty of Political, Public Administration and Communication Sciences of Babeș-Bolyai University, investigating the links between culture and emotional and mental well-being in cities.

Andi Daiszler (Romania), cultural manager. With a solid background in journalism and critical thinking, and interests in urbanism and arts, Andi's projects always have a deep connection with the spaces in which they happen. Such projects, developed through the Daisler Association umbrella, include the Potaissa Street, considered in 2021 one of the best urban regeneration projects in Romania by the Transylvania Architecture Biennale, or the Lights On Romania project, the first ever light festival in South-East Europe admitted into the International Light festival Organization (ILO) due to the high level of artistic style and urban connections that the festival showed. He currently is the marketing manager for Daisler Print House, in charge of the Daisler Association and also the first Romanian to serve on the board of ILO.

Andra Tănase (Romania), currently serving as Green and Digital Strategist and Skills and Future Competences Programme Manager at Transilvania IT Cluster as well as Independent Consultant, Trainer and Strategist on conflict transformation and education, Andra works on strategic programme design, capacity building, policy making and organisational development from mainly the perspective of sustainability, collaborative leadership, innovation and conflict transformation. Andra coordinates several projects at the Green and Digital intersection such as Cluj Net Zero City,  ZeroW (reducing food loss and waste), SPIRE (which uses phytoremediation and iGIS and local immaterial utility) or GILL (with focus on gender SMART innovation). At the same time she is involved in training and competence - building activities and engagement with other civic and educational actors and is eager to engage with professionals who dare with vision, challenge with passion and think critically in order to inspire and be inspired, to create impact and achieve sustainable growth at personal, community and world-wide levels.

Nóra Dobre (Romania), is senior expert in human resources and associate teacher at Babes-Bolyai University. A committed communication professional with experience in organizational development, dedicated to foster healthy policies, efficient people strategies, to design and streamline processes, to build solid relationships. With a sweet tooth for arts, especially architecture and music, she is a board member at an Art Festival.

Dr. Árpád Furu (Romania), is a civil engineer, heritage conservation specialist, ethnographer, lecturer at the Institute of Hungarian Ethnography and Anthropology of the Babeș-Bolyai University. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in 1993, completed postgraduate studies in Budapest and obtained his PhD in 2015 with a monographic work entitled Rural architectural areas of Transylvania. His specialization is intertwined around folk architecture and heritage conservation, the results of which can be seen in academic works, independent volumes and in the heritage conservation and restoration projects he has led.

Szabolcs Guttmann (Romania), architect, urban planner, historian and university lecturer at the University of Oradea. He is now regarded as one of the most well-known Hungarian architects in Transylvania. Szabolcs Guttmann was born in Cluj-Napoca in 1961, completed his architectural studies in Bucharest in 1987 and specialized in monument conservation at the Technical University of Budapest in 1992. From 2002 to 2008 he was the chief architect of Sibiu during which time he oversaw the restoration of the historic center of the Saxon municipality. In 2013, he received his PhD in history. He has been involved in and has contributed to numerous urban planning and heritage conservation projects all over Transylvania.

Stephen Sholl (USA) is the Head of MCC’s Head of International Communications. Previously he served as a researcher with the Architecture and Remembrance Workshop where he focused on architecture and urbanism’s relationship to cultural and societal development. His research has revolved around architecture’s intricate relationship with local, national, and civilizational identity and his writings on architecture have appeared in numerous journals and magazines. Hailing from the United States, Stephen Sholl has resided in Budapest for the past three years. He hold two MA degrees, one in International Conflict and Security Studies from the University of Kent, and another Master’s degree from Virginia Tech in Public and International Affairs.

Dr. Virgil Pop (Romania), a PhD Architect, obtained his diploma at the University of Architecture and Urbanism "Ion Mincu" in Bucharest (1997) and his habilitation thesis at the Technical University of Cluj. Since 1990 he has been secretary of the Zonal Commission of Historical Monuments Western Transylvania (with numerous subsequent changes of title). He has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca since 1990 and holds courses in History of European and Romanian Architecture, and Restoration of Monuments. He initiated the introduction of practical work on "urban restoration" and optional courses on heritage protection.

Dan Clinci (Romania) is an architect, graduated at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning in Cluj-Napoca. He practices in his own architecture and urban planning studio, he is member of the National Council of the Romanian Chamber of Architects and President of Urbannect NGO. Dan is the organizer of International Architecture and Urban Planning Design Competitions, in partnership with the Municipality of Cluj-Napoca and Cluj County. As a co-founder of Urbannect NGO, he develops community and cultural events in the public space. Among the most relevant projects are Urban Living Room, My City is My Home, Vamos a la Playa, Project H33 (a Social Innovation Hub for the revitalisation of postindustrial spaces), Celebrating Communities (rising awareness on the consideration of the positive role of immigration towards the prosperity and celebrity of the city), REFILL – URBACT project for conversion of postindustrial urban tissue by temporary using and implementing community programs and cultural sites, Map of Vacant Spaces, an instrument for the regeneration and conversion of the postindustrial city.

Camelia Sisak (Romania) studied architecture at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca and Ecole d'Architecture in Grenoble, and she is currently a PhD candidate. She presently teaches at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning from Cluj. Co-author for The ICR pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2010 with the project Superbia and in 2012 with the project Head-UP. She was nominated for BATRA 2021 and Golden Trezzini Awards 2021 for the projes1 of the private museum of Muzeon. Author for various projects selected for national and international exhibition.