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Bulevardul Unirii in central Bucharest, with traffic, pedestrians and tree-lined pavements leading towards the Palace of the Parliament

Romania

Bucharest

Photo: Kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bucharest has adopted an Integrated Urban Development Strategy, launched tenders for 100 trolleybuses and 79 trams, and is preparing large water, seismic safety and boulevard regeneration programmes.

Updated · Checked against official sources

  • Population

    1,716,961 resident population

    2021 census, first definitive results

  • Mayor General

    Ciprian Ciucu

  • EU programmes

    2

Latest

  1. Culture ·

    Bucharest opens its draft cultural strategy to feedback from cultural organisations

    Bucharest has launched the strategiaculturala.pmb.ro platform so cultural organisations can comment on the city's cultural strategy, now being drafted.

    Facts and source
    • Mayor General Ciprian Ciucu presented the strategy on Thursday, 15 October 2026.
    • The strategy is being prepared by AEUB in collaboration with Insula 42.
    • The final document will be ready next year.

    Source: Primăria Municipiului București, “Strategia Culturală a Bucureștiului! Am lansat o platformă pentru feedback din partea organizațiilor culturale”

  2. Mobility ·

    Bucharest launches tender for 100 trolleybuses and prepares one for 79 trams

    Bucharest City Hall has put out to tender 100 new battery-assisted trolleybuses, partly EU-funded, and is preparing a tender for 79 trams.

    Facts and source
    • The city has launched a tender for 100 new, non-polluting trolleybuses with battery range.
    • The estimated value of the trolleybus contract is 492,787,450 lei excluding VAT.
    • The 79 trams are worth 1,699,919,059 lei including VAT, of which 434,080,177 lei is non-reimbursable funding.

    Source: Primăria Municipiului București, “Cea mai mare investiție în transportul public electric din București: 2,2 miliarde de lei pentru 100 de troleibuze și 79 de tramvaie”

  3. Climate and energy ·

    Bucharest approves over €520 million of water and sewer investment with Apa Nova

    Councillors have approved a plan with the city's water operator Apa Nova for more than €520 million of water and sewer works over 11 years, aimed partly at urban flooding.

    Facts and source
    • The city is preparing investments of more than €520 million in water and sewer infrastructure.
    • The investments will be spread over 11 years.
    • They include rehabilitating major collectors more than 80 years old.

    Source: Primăria Municipiului București, “Investiții de 520 de milioane de euro în infrastructura de apă și canalizare. Iată în ce costau”

  4. Regeneration and housing ·

    Bucharest General Council adopts the city's Integrated Urban Development Strategy

    Bucharest now has an Integrated Urban Development Strategy (SIDU), the document it needs to draw down EU funds for city projects.

    Facts and source
    • The strategy was voted by the General Council on Friday, 28 August 2026.
    • A series of urban regeneration guides was prepared as part of the strategy.
    • The SIDU is the basis on which the city can access non-reimbursable EU funding.

    Source: Primăria Municipiului București, “Bucureștiul are, în sfârșit, o Strategie Integrată de Dezvoltare Urbană!”

  5. Regeneration and housing ·

    Bucharest prepares an international design competition for the Magheru boulevard

    Bucharest will redesign the Bălcescu – Magheru – Piața Romană axis through an international competition organised with the Romanian Order of Architects.

    Facts and source
    • A historical study will set the design brief for the competition.
    • The principles include priority areas for pedestrians and encouraging walking and cycling.
    • The mayor describes Magheru today as a noisy transit corridor with polluted air.

    Source: Primăria Municipiului București, “Concurs internațional de soluții pentru reamenajarea zonei Bd. Bălcescu – Bd. Magheru – Piața Romană!”

City briefs are drafted with AI from official sources; every fact is checked against the source text before an editor approves it.

Projects we track

5 projects

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Purchase of 100 articulated trolleybuses

    The city launched the tender on 1 September 2026 for 100 low-floor, 18-metre trolleybuses with at least 20 km of battery range, partly funded by the EU through the Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Programme.

    Budget 596,462,622 lei incl. VAT (estimated contract value 492,787,450 lei excl. VAT) Funded by EU, Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Programme 2021-2027 Mobility

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Purchase of 79 trams

    Tender documents for 79 new trams, backed by non-reimbursable funding obtained at the end of 2025, were ready in September 2026 for publication and validation.

    Budget 1,699,919,059 lei incl. VAT, of which 434,080,177 lei non-reimbursable Mobility

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Water and sewer investment plan with Apa Nova

    Over 11 years, more than €520 million will go into rehabilitating old collectors, building retention basins against urban flooding and adapting networks to new housing density.

    Budget more than €520 million, of which €300 million from Apa Nova Funded by Apa Nova and the city Climate and energy

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    International design competition for Bălcescu – Magheru – Piața Romană

    With the Romanian Order of Architects, the city will run an international competition to redesign the boulevard, starting with a historical study that sets the brief.

    Regeneration and housing

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Seismic consolidation of 13 more buildings

    The General Council approved technical and economic indicators for 11 housing blocks and two public buildings; 65% of the cost is to be covered by the national seismic consolidation programme.

    Budget 376 million lei Funded by National programme for consolidating high seismic risk buildings (Ministry of Development) and local budget Regeneration and housing

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

Coming up in Bucharest

Also held here: Romanian AI Days 2026, Smart Cities of Romania Conference 11th edition (2026) .

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EU programmes and networks

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