Hi, I’m Grațian. I work with cities, institutions and communities to turn ideas into practical urban projects.

Founder of UrbanizeHub. Member of the European Commission’s Mission Board for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.

My story
Portrait of Grațian Mihăilescu

Orașe,oameni,idei în mișcare

Cities,people,ideas in motion

My work starts from a simple idea: a good city cannot be built from a distance. It is shaped around the same table, with public administrations, specialists and the people who live there.

I began my journey in Brussels, working on European policy, structural funds and regional development. There, I learned how European decisions connect with the everyday reality of cities. I returned to Romania to turn expertise into concrete projects.

Since 2016, I have been building UrbanizeHub with a team that connects public administrations, specialists and communities. Since 2022, I have served on the European Commission’s Mission Board for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.

What I do

Participatory urbanism

I put the community’s voice at the centre of urban regeneration, from the first conversation to the built solution.

Applied innovation

I create contexts where public administrations, entrepreneurs and experts can test ideas for the city together.

Public policy

I connect local experience with European tools and directions for urban and climate transformation.

Projects

Together with the UrbanizeHub team, I develop urban planning, regeneration and communication projects for cities.

My role is to connect public administrations, specialists and communities, and move shared ideas towards practical projects.

Urbanism and regeneration

Lugoj for Kids, by Kids

Children work with the local administration to design safer routes through the city.

Founder of UrbanizeHub; project led by Mihai Ioniță | Lugoj | 10 September-25 November 2021 | 20 pupils and a GIS map delivered to City Hall

Piațete Libere

Giving public squares back to people and turning car-dominated spaces into places for community life.

Founder of UrbanizeHub; project led by Samuel Stancu | District 2, Bucharest | April-August 2026 | consultation and sociological report for 10 public squares

Săsăuș Transylvania Hub

A living hub for rural regeneration, reconnecting villages and cities through heritage, culture, education and entrepreneurship.

Initiator | Săsăuș, Sibiu | 2025-present | rural regeneration pilot; 9 participants selected for the first Design Thinking Camp

Communication

Your City’s Priorities

A communication and public consultation campaign through which more than 100,000 people shared their priorities for the city.

UrbanizeHub representative in the campaign partnership and communication | Bucharest and 40 county capitals | 2019 | 372 projects ranked and 100,000+ responses

Urban Talks

Conferences and podcasts connecting mayors, innovators, experts, NGOs, companies and communities.

Founder | launched in Timișoara, followed by editions in several cities | 2017-present | the 2018 Timișoara edition brought together 15 speakers from 6 countries

FUSILLI

A project included in the series of publications and expert exchanges launched through Urban Talks events.

Founder of UrbanizeHub | Cluj-Napoca and Brno | 2023 | methodological guide produced by the team for participatory metropolitan planning

UrbanizeHub on Tour: Cities for People

A tour featuring more than 120 urban leaders, developed into a documentary series about Romanian cities.

UrbanizeHub lead and tour participant | 20+ Romanian cities | June-July 2020 | 120+ urban leaders interviewed

Journey

From ideas to institutions, then back to the street.

Early years

Brussels and European affairs

Consulting on cohesion policy, structural funds and regional development.

2013

Institute for Local Development

An NGO dedicated to local governance, decentralisation and subsidiarity.

2016

UrbanizeHub

The interdisciplinary platform for urban innovation and sustainability is launched.

2018

Urban Talks

A series of conversations connecting cities, experts, administrations and communities begins.

2019

Your City’s Priorities

More than 100,000 votes across 41 cities, contributing to the Metropolitan Romania report.

2021

Urban Innovation Hub

A company dedicated to participatory urbanism and urban regeneration projects.

2022 - present

Mission Board: 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities

Connecting the experience of cities with the European Commission’s strategic direction.

2026

New Urban Habits

The urban culture and sustainability festival joins the EU Green Week network.

Education & training

Communication and Public Relations

Bachelor’s degree: West University of Timișoara, Romania.

West University of Timișoara

European Studies and International Relations

Master’s degree: West University of Timișoara, Romania; Erasmus mobility at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany.

West University of Timișoara Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Comparative Local Development

Joint European Master in Comparative Local Development, Erasmus Mundus: University of Trento, Italy, and Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary.

University of Trento Corvinus University of Budapest

Project Management

Postgraduate programme in project management and community advisory: Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.

Université libre de Bruxelles

Urban Governance

Doctorate: Doctoral School of Sociology, Philosophy and Political Science, West University of Timișoara, Romania.

West University of Timișoara

Publications

Media

Interviews (18)

Video & audio (48)

Contributions (5)