The Association for Urban Transition is a think-tank NGO that deals with urban challenges such as urban development, urban policy, urban culture and heritage, sustainable mobility and public space, collective housing and social exclusion. Established as a non-governmental organisation in 2001, ATU has always endorsed interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary studies and approaches, focusing on one main issue: 'the city.' To this end, ATU compiles various methods and perspectives from different disciplines, while sharing a concern for urban phenomena.
ATU comprises more than 60 members from various disciplines: architecture, urban planning, social studies, urban legislation and economics, anthropology. But the permanently active core involved in urban development projects consists of ten people, sometimes more.ATU's team has contributed to the development of methodologies and applied research projects aiming to improve living conditions, urban mobility and quality of public space. It has also helped to promote understanding and local identity in urban areas.
Throughout its 12 years of existence, ATU has undertaken assignments dealing with those various areas in which it possesses expertise: habitat improvement and living conditions in Romanian historical centres and collective housing ensembles, development of methodologies for public participation processes in urban development, opening discussions about sustainable urban mobility plans, in addition to conducting mobility audits and training courses about urban development issues.
The CH4LLENGE cities will benefit from ATU’s valuable knowledge as the NGO will support the partner cities in developing strategies for the four challenges and implementing the pilot schemes. in particular, ATU will give advice to the cities located in New Member States and will be strongly involved in the Romanian training activities (National SUMP CH4LLENGE Seminar, CH4LLENGE Summer School). Further, ATU will contribute to the development of the four CH4LLENGE Kits.
