Nordic Edge Brought the New European Bauhaus to Bucharest
Bjarne Uldal from Nordic Edge held a keynote, led a workshop and joined a panel as Romania, for the second time, brought together citizens, urban developers and practitioners around the future of cities. He came with the New European Bauhaus toolkit in hand.
Photo: Vladimir Gheorghiu
On 20–21 June, Bucharest hosted New Urban Habits 2026, Romania's first festival dedicated to the future of cities. The event was organised by UrbanizeHub, which brought together citizens, urban planners, public authorities, researchers, artists and innovators. Through talks, workshops, exhibitions and cultural activities, the festival set out to make the conversation about urban development accessible to a wide audience – and to inspire new habits for better cities.
Nordic Edge contributed the New European Bauhaus (NEB) perspective to the discussion on the future of neighbourhoods.
Photo: Vladimir Gheorghiu
New European Bauhaus on Stage
On the INSPIRE stage, Bjarne Uldal delivered the keynote "Shaping Better Places through the New European Bauhaus." His message was this: the NEB principles of sustainability, inclusion and beauty can shape neighbourhoods that connect better with people's everyday lives.
– The New European Bauhaus is not about making cities prettier on the surface. It is about building neighbourhoods people actually enjoy, where sustainability, community and aesthetics come together, says Bjarne Uldal.
From Principle to Neighborhood
Nordic Edge also led the interactive workshop "New European Bauhaus and Neighbourhood Futures." There, participants explored a Bucharest neighbourhood through the NEB lens. Working with real urban spaces, they looked for opportunities to create places that are more beautiful, more vibrant and better to be in – for everyone.
– When people look at their own neighbourhood with fresh eyes, they quickly see how much could be better. That is where the good ideas start, he says.
Photo: Vladimir Gheorghiu
The Sustainable, Inclusive, and Beautiful City
Bjarne also took part in the panel discussion "The Sustainable, Inclusive and Beautiful City." Together with other experts, he discussed how cities can balance the environment, social concerns and aesthetics.
– We have a lot to learn from each other across Europe. We bring Nordic experience with us, but we come home with at least as much, says Uldal.
Photo: Vladimir Gheorghiu
Why Nordic Edge Is There
Taking part in arenas like New Urban Habits is an important part of Nordic Edge's international work. Festivals like this create meeting places where municipalities, experts, businesses and local communities can share experience, test ideas and build partnerships across borders.
Nordic Edge brings practical methods and examples from the Nordics, and at the same time learns from local initiatives in Romania and elsewhere in Europe. In this way, the organisation strengthens its role in advancing sustainable urban development – through collaboration and knowledge sharing.
